


Planet of the Mullettes

by mmgage



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-15
Updated: 2011-10-31
Packaged: 2017-10-22 15:56:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 39,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/239834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmgage/pseuds/mmgage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor, Amy, and Rory visit a tropical planet where the people are supposed to be peaceful. Something's gone horribly wrong and as they try to help, Rory learns more about the Doctor. Set between Amy's Choice & Hungry Earth in series 5, following my story Sleepwalking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story is part of my continuing exploration of how Rory Williams went from disliking the Doctor in "Amy's Choice" to telling the people in "The Hungry Earth" that he'd trust him with his life. It is a follow-up to an earlier story, "Sleepwalking," which has also been published here. It isn't essential to have read that story before tackling this one but a few things, especially in this first chapter, will make more sense if you have.**

One of the first things Rory had come to enjoy about life in the TARDIS was breakfast. Amy was slow to get moving in the mornings which meant he usually wound up alone in the kitchen with the Doctor. He'd been apprehensive his first few weeks, but the Doctor was quiet in the mornings. He'd let Rory settle at the knotty-pine table with a mug of tea or coffee while he prepared the meal, humming softly as he worked. Rory would watch and by the time Amy joined them, the caffeine would have cleared his head and the Doctor would have the meal nearly ready. In the cozy kitchen (which looked like it had been lifted straight out of his gran's house) with a nearly bottomless mug of tea or coffee and one of the Doctor's delicious omelets, Rory came as close to comfortable as he thought he'd ever be on the TARDIS.

The morning routine had changed briefly after the Doctor's sleepwalking, but once they'd left the medical bay they'd returned to the old pattern. Rory was grateful now for Amy's habit of wallowing in bed; having a few minutes alone with the Doctor each morning let him discreetly (he hoped) monitor the Time Lord. It had been a week since they'd returned to their rooms and so far everything seemed to be fine. The Doctor appeared cheerful and well-rested each morning.

There was just one thing which kept things from being entirely normal. It had now been over a fortnight since they'd stopped the TARDIS anywhere. The Doctor had settled them in the vortex before his final sleepwalk and they hadn't emerged since. He seemed content to spend a good portion of each day tinkering in the console room, leaving Amy and Rory to occupy themselves. They'd spent the past several days exploring the endless corridors of the ship, but they were both growing restless. Rory found the vastness of the TARDIS both unnerving and depressing. He felt as if he were trapped on a ghost ship, trying to find some trace of her crew. He did his best to hide his discomfort, but the same couldn't be said for Amy. Her restlessness was rapidly moving into impatience and Rory wasn't sure how much longer she would stay quiet.

When Amy entered the kitchen that morning, Rory could see her patience had run out. She settled in a chair at the table, her foot tapping the floor lightly as the Doctor served up their breakfast. She eyed the plate full of thin pancakes, which were wrapped around a pudding mixture which included pineapple, banana, mandarin oranges, and coconut, and arched a brow.

"These look… interesting," she said.

"They're crepes," the Doctor explained, passing a plate to Rory. "Tropical crepes."

"They smell fantastic," Rory said quickly, shooting Amy a warning look. She made a face at him before reaching for her fork. For a few minutes everyone was quiet as they ate. Rory was just starting to relax when Amy set aside her fork.

"That was delicious," she announced. "You know what would be even better though? Visiting someplace tropical."

"That can be nice," the Doctor replied, "so long as you've got the right bug spray, of course. Have I ever told you about the mosquitoes on Mynark? Well, I call them mosquitoes but they're not really – nothing like them, apart from the biting and the blood…"

"Doctor." Amy softened her curt tone with a smile.

"You… you want to go somewhere tropical."

"Yes," Amy said.

"If you're feeling up for it," Rory added.

"Of course I'm feeling up for it," the Doctor scoffed. "In fact, I know just the place. The people are peaceful, the views are spectacular, and there are caves which glow in the dark!"

"Great," Amy said, beaming. The Doctor got to his feet and she followed suit. Rory stood as well, reaching out to catch her wrist.

"We'll take care of the dishes, Doctor," he said.

"Right," the Doctor replied. "If you stop at the wardrobe on your way to the console room, you should find everything you'll need." He clapped Rory on the shoulder once before leaving the kitchen. Amy waited until he'd vanished from the doorway before turning to Rory.

"What?" she asked. "You said he was sleeping again. He seems fine."

"He does seem fine," Rory answered, gathering their plates and carrying them to the sink. "I just… I don't want to rush him."

"He can't hide in the TARDIS forever," Amy retorted. "It'll be good for him to get out."

"I know. I just… I don't want to push him into anything."

"We didn't push. We just… nudged." She came to lean against the counter as Rory loaded the dishwasher.

"Yeah."

"It's not like we're going somewhere dangerous," Amy pressed. "He said the people were peaceful."

"I know."

"Then what are you worrying about?"

"I… I don't know," Rory admitted. Amy smiled at him and he sighed, turning back to the dishes and trying to push down his anxiety.

Once the kitchen was cleaned, Rory let Amy drag him down the corridor to the wardrobe. He followed her inside, wondering what they'd find this time. The room seemed to change each time they visited it, and today was no exception. The long hallway of clothing was still there, but a rack had been moved to block the route. There were privacy screens at either side of it to allow them to change. Amy started thumbing through the clothing on the rack, her brows drawing together in a frown.

"There's a lot of… khaki here," she muttered, lifting a wide-brimmed hat with a frown. "Where are the bathing suits?"

"Maybe it's not that sort of tropical," Rory suggested, biting back a smirk. Amy frowned for a second before shaking her head and smiling.

"Of course," she said. "Right. We'll get him out of here for a while, enjoy a bit of fresh air, and maybe tomorrow or the next day we can find some sand and palm trees." She reached out to finger a pale green blouse while Rory collected some clothing for himself. Within a few minutes they were ready. Amy had chosen khaki shorts and a green short-sleeved blouse, paired with brown hiking boots and a wide-brimmed tan hat. Rory had selected cargo pants and a khaki shirt. Amy passed him a pith helmet and pronounced them ready.

The Doctor was waiting by the center console when they emerged from the corridor. His face lit up when he saw them and Rory reached a nervous hand up to touch the brim of his hat. Amy laughed and turned a little pirouette at the top of the stairs.

"Ta-da," she cried. "Jungle-explorer Pond is ready to go." She bounded down the steps, one hand holding her hat in place. Rory followed her more slowly, feeling increasingly foolish.

"Almost," the Doctor replied, turning to get something from the console. He turned back, holding two test-tube-shaped vials full of blue liquid. "You need to drink this first." He held out the vials; Amy and Rory stared at them suspiciously.

"What is it?" Amy asked, wrinkling her nose. Rory got a whiff of the liquid, which smelled like a cross between licorice and garlic, and nearly gagged at the thought of consuming it.

"Preventative medicine," the Doctor replied. When they continued to look dubious he sighed and thrust the vials into their hands. "It'll protect you from all potential tropical dangers – impure waters, insect bites, poison ivy, snakes. C'mon now, glug glug." Amy glanced at Rory who sighed and held his nose before downing the thick fluid. She followed suit, coughing a little.

"There's poison ivy on other planets?" she asked, returning the empty vial to the Doctor.

"Of course," he answered.

"Are you telling me poison ivy is… alien?" Rory asked, passing over his empty vial. The Doctor just smiled as he turned away, slipping the tubes into a bin on the side of the TARDIS console.

"Now," he said, rubbing his hands together as he turned back around. "The two of you look ready. Shall we see what's out there?" He waved toward the doors and Amy started forward, her face alight with eagerness. Rory glanced at the Doctor, who nodded for him to go ahead.

The first thing Rory noticed as he stepped out the TARDIS doors was the smell. The scent of flowers was heavy around them. He was relieved to find there was a steady breeze, which kept the warm, moist air from becoming oppressive. Amy quickly tucked her hair up under her hat but Rory felt comfortable in his mesh pith helmet.

The TARDIS was in a small clearing, surrounded by trees and lush foliage on three sides. Rory could just glimpse a path leading away from one side of the clearing. Birds were chattering in the trees overhead, apparently undisturbed by their arrival. The Doctor locked the TARDIS door before turning to survey their surroundings. Amy snorted when she caught sight of the pith helmet he'd donned.

"Problem, Pond?" he asked, arching a brow at her. She shook her head, smirking.

"Nope."

"Pith helmets are cool," the Doctor said, turning to Rory for support.

"Uh, sure," Rory stammered. "Of course they are."

"Should have picked one out for yourself, Pond," the Doctor continued, clearly buoyed by Rory's agreement. "Now, let's try this way, shall we?" He started toward the trail. Amy shook her head at Rory, who shrugged before falling into step behind the Doctor. He allowed himself a small grin once he knew his face was out of Amy's line of sight.

The walk was peaceful. The breeze remained steady, carrying the floral scent and keeping Rory cool. The Doctor set a comfortable pace, happily prattling away as he explained what they were passing. Rory listened attentively, finding their surroundings fascinating. The plant-life was interesting – he couldn't help but wonder what medicinal properties it might have – and from time to time he caught glimpses of colorful birds in the trees. After about an hour he was even able to stop worrying about something or someone jumping out from behind a tree to attack them. He was feeling relaxed and happy by the time the village came into view.


	2. Chapter 2

The village was made up of mud-brick huts with roofs of woven reeds. From their vantage point on a small hill, Rory, Amy and the Doctor could see the structures were set out in neat squares, with dirt streets running in surprisingly straight lines between them. At the center of the village was a stone well. Blue-skinned people were moving through the streets, scantily-clad in animal hides. Rory didn't see any signs of weapons and the Doctor had said the people of this world were peaceful, but he couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive all the same. The Doctor, on the other hand, was pleased. He led Amy and Rory down the hill, telling them they should be able to get lunch from the villagers.

They stopped at the bottom of the hill and waited. After a moment Rory spotted a group of the blue-skinned people coming toward them. As they drew closer, he could see they were short – none of them topped five feet in height – with high cheekbones, wide noses, and almond-shaped eyes of gold or brown. Their hair was bluish-black, worn short in the front and long in the back.

"Oh my God," Amy murmured, surveying the group. "It's planet of the mullets." The Doctor looked back at her in surprise.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"What? Are you serious?"

"They can't really be called that," Rory protested, fighting back laughter. "Mullets?"

"Yes," replied the Doctor. "M-U-L-L-E-T-T-E-S." Amy and Rory both started laughing and he stared at them. "What's so funny?"

"We… we'll tell you in a minute," Amy said, continuing to chuckle. With a shake of his head the Doctor turned away, stepping forward to meet the party from the village. Amy and Rory continued to fight back laughter as the villagers engaged in a strange greeting ritual with the Doctor. It involved grasping forearms, half-bows, and some steps which resembled a dosi-do. Once the ritual was completed, the Doctor dug into his jacket pocket, rifling for a moment before producing a cluster of bangle bracelets. They sparkled in the dappled sunlight and the eyes of the villagers went wide. They quickly nodded, accepting the offered jewelry before motioning the Doctor forward. He took a few steps before looking over his shoulder at Amy and Rory.

"Come along, Pond… and Rory," he called. "They're going to give us lunch!"

The villagers led the Doctor, Amy and Rory through the streets to the other side of the village. There was a shelter there with a long table beneath it. Rory could see a river flowing past a few yards away and the breezes had increased. The trio settled on a bench at the table and after a moment a smiling villager approached with a jug and three crude goblets. She left them on the table in front of the Doctor before retreating. He poured out portions of what proved to be a sparkling juice. Rory sipped his cautiously, finding it pleasantly tart, as another villager approached with plates. She left them with a smile and the Doctor passed one down to Rory and Amy. A third villager drew near, carrying a tray of fruits and nuts. He settled it on the table, beaming at them as he bowed and retreated.

The parade of smiling villagers continued. They brought a roasted bird, a huge fish, more fruits and nuts, portions of a flat-bread, and another jug of juice. In each case the villager placed the platter on the table, gave a half-bow, and retreated without speaking. Rory found their smiling silence disconcerting. He spotted a small group of the natives standing at the end of one of the streets, watching. They weren't talking amongst themselves and he felt his skin start to crawl as he realized there were no voices coming from the village either.

The Doctor didn't seem troubled by the quiet. He smiled and nodded as each platter of food was brought to the table. When the last dish was left, the he started to help himself to portions of the food. Rory and Amy followed suit, taking small amounts of everything. Rory wanted to ask the Doctor about the silence but he was afraid to speak. Perhaps talking was taboo here; he didn't want to offend the villagers. He kept his head down, trying to ignore the staring, and concentrated on his food. The amount of food was astonishing and he hoped the villagers could spare all of it. He didn't care for the roasted bird – the flavor reminded him of duck – but he forced himself to eat all he'd taken anyway.

When he finally looked up from his empty plate he found not only the crowd of villagers staring at him but Amy and the Doctor as well. He felt his face grow warm and wondered how long they'd been watching him. The Doctor hadn't finished his portion of the bird, while Amy had left behind most of her fish. A man emerged from the crowd of villagers to approach the table and the Doctor stepped around to meet him. Rory could see one of the bangle bracelets sparkling on the man's wrist as he drew near. The Doctor made a half-bow as they met and the two men stood facing each other for a moment. Rory couldn't see their faces but he didn't hear anything. He started when Amy leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"What are they doing?" she asked. Rory looked over at her, shrugging and lifting his hands in a helpless gesture. She huffed out a sigh, putting an elbow on the table and propping her chin on her hand. The strange non-conversation continued for a few more minutes before the Doctor turned back to Rory and Amy, waving for them to join him. The blue-skinned man led them toward the river, pointing out a path before parting from the Doctor with a repeat of the strange greeting ritual. Rory wanted to question the Doctor, but he was already moving along the path. Amy growled and started after him, with Rory on her heels.

"Doctor…" Amy let her voice trail off as a cluster of blue-skinned people came into view. They'd obviously been fishing as they were carrying poles, nets, and several large fish. They stepped aside, smiling politely as the Doctor, Amy, and Rory passed. Once they were out of sight, Rory started to speak only to find the Doctor waving at another group of natives out on the river in a canoe. The blue-skinned people returned the wave and Rory could see they were smiling. A second boat came into view and its occupants also waved, apparently unconcerned by seeing pale-skinned strangers on the riverbank. Rory stared after them for a moment before turning his attention back to the Doctor.

"Do they get a lot of visitors here?" he asked.

"I shouldn't think so," answered the Doctor. He glanced at Rory and arched his brows. "Why?"

"They don't seem at all… curious about us," Rory said. "They just… wave and go on."

"That's because they know all about us," the Doctor replied. When Rory and Amy both started he chuckled. "They're telepathic. By the time we left the village I'd guess everyone in a 3 mile radius knew we were here."

"Telepath… they can hear our thoughts?" Amy asked, her cheeks flushing.

"No!" protested the Doctor, shaking his head. "No. They're only telepathic amongst themselves, and with other telepathic peoples."

"So they can't tell what we're thinking." Amy was still anxious.

"Of course not," confirmed the Doctor. "And even if they could, they wouldn't. It'd be rude."

"O…k," Rory said, still feeling uneasy. Amy looked anxious as well.

"You don't need to worry," the Doctor told them. "They're very nice people, and they like us."

"And how do you know that?" Amy asked.

"I can hear them," the Doctor replied. His tone was casual, as if it was the most commonplace thing in the world to be able to hear the thoughts of blue-skinned, mullet-wearing, telepathic people. Rory could feel his eyes widening and the Doctor's smile faded. "Time Lords are… well were. No, are – I'm still alive after all..."

"Doctor, are you saying you're telepathic too?" Amy asked tersely.

"Yes," he answered, his hands flapping a little as he continued. "Well, a little. Well, only with other Time Lords. And other telepathic peoples."

"So… is that how we were able to share your dreams?" Amy asked. The Doctor started and Rory quickly shook his head; he hadn't told Amy about the Doctor's nightmare from their first night in the med bay. Amy continued and he breathed a sigh of relief at her words. "You know – with the pollen."

"Oh!" The Doctor relaxed for a second before his nervousness returned. "No. Well, not exactly. Sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of,'" Amy growled.

"It's… complicated. The TARDIS emits a low-level telepathic field."

"And what? The two of you… combined forces?"

"I was under the influence of the pollen," the Doctor protested. "So was she."

"So what's the telepathic field for exactly?" pressed Amy. "Do you and the TARDIS… talk that way?"

"Not really." The Doctor's fidgeted a little. "She doesn't really… talk. She's not built that way."

"Then what's the point of the field?" The Doctor seemed to flinch a bit at the question and his fidgeting increasing. Rory and Amy continued to stare at him, waiting for his answer.

"It's… didn't you wonder how you were able to understand Venetians in 1580?" he asked finally.

"What does that…" Amy began, but Rory cut her off as understanding started to dawn.

"The TARDIS translated for us. But… how? We weren't near her." He almost snickered as he realized he was falling in to the Doctor's habit of referring to the TARDIS as a "she."

"It's a… gift, from the Time Lords," the Doctor explained. "The TARDIS sort of… gets into your head and provides a universal translator."

"It gets into our heads," Rory said flatly.

"Just to translate."

"And to share dreams," Amy added drily.

"That was the pollen," the Doctor insisted, his face anxious. "Ordinarily she would never…"

"Right," Rory said, cutting him off. "So, basically we're on a planet full of blue-skinned telepathic people who are not reading our minds because doing so would be impolite."

"They can't read our minds," the Doctor corrected quickly.

"Except for yours," Amy muttered.

"And they like us," he continued, ignoring her. "Don't forget that bit."


	3. Chapter 3

For a few minutes there was an awkward silence. Amy was looking cross and Rory was resisting the urge to remind her she was the one who wanted to visit a tropical planet. Finally he took pity on the Doctor, who looked anxious, and decided to change the subject.

"I thought we were going to visit some caves," he said.

"Not just caves – glowing cave," the Doctor said quickly. He smiled at Rory even as he continued to shoot nervous glances in Amy's direction. "I thought we could take a look inside of them on our way back to the TARDIS."

"Are you sure we can get back to the TARDIS from these caves?" Amy asked. Her arms were still folded across her chest but the edge was gone from her voice. She was mellowing.

"Of course I'm sure," the Doctor answered. He paused, picking up a stick and proceeding to draw a rough map in the soft soil beside the trail. "Here's the river, here's us, there's the village, and there's the TARDIS." Rory studied the lines, squiggles, and marks on the ground, nodding as he realized they were essentially walking in the shape of an isosceles triangle. The TARDIS was at the top of the triangle, with the village at one corner of the base and their current location at the other.

"What are these marks here?" Rory asked, pointing at a set of squiggles on their route to the TARDIS.

"The caves," the Doctor answered.

"The glow-in-the-dark caves," Amy said, rolling her eyes. The Doctor smiled, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"Exactly. Mysteriously glowing caves."

"It's not phosphorescence?" asked Rory and the Doctor's smile widened.

"We can find out," he said. "We'll be the first off-worlders to visit them." Rory glanced at Amy and she sighed, shaking her head.

"You boys and your glowing caves," she muttered, smiling indulgently. "Let's go and see them then."

"Right. It's not far. We should be back to the TARDIS by tea-time." The Doctor set off again, clearly eager to leave the awkward conversation behind. Amy moved with him and Rory followed. The path was wide enough now that the three of them could walk abreast, but he let them go ahead. He wanted a few minutes to think without having to make conversation. The idea of the people on this planet all thinking at each other about him was enough to make him nervous, and finding out the Doctor could join in the thought-conversation made his skin crawl. The Doctor had said the people here couldn't hear the thoughts of non-telepathic people, and he'd seemed truly embarrassed about his own telepathic abilities. _Was he embarrassed at being caught out, or about having the abilities in the first place?_ Rory wondered. _He does seem to get… uncomfortable whenever the subject of his people comes up._

Rory's thoughts were disrupted when another group of the natives came into view. He realized with a start how far ahead Amy and the Doctor were and he quickened his pace to catch them up, hastily returning the blue-skinned people's friendly wave as they passed. The trail was moving uphill now and he panted a little as he hurried. The day had grown warmer since they'd left the TARDIS and he was wishing the Doctor had asked for canteens in the village.

When Rory finally reached the top of the hill he found Amy and the Doctor staring at a small rise of rocky land a few dozen yards away. At the base of the rise was a cave opening and even at this distance Rory could make out a faint glow. He stared at the cave for a moment as he caught his breath, until the sound of bubbling water caught his attention. He turned toward the noise, trying to find the source. Instead of spotting a stream or spring, he saw a circle of standing stones a few feet to his right. They were smooth and white, standing almost 5 feet in height and sparkling in the sunshine. At the center of the circle was another slab of stone and as Rory moved closer he realized the sound was coming from it. A spring was bubbling up through the center of the rock. Rory felt his thirst intensify at the sight and quickened his steps.

He'd just entered the circle when he heard the Doctor's shout. He kept going, unable to tear his eyes away from the water. His thirst was almost painful when he reached the center stone and he flung himself across it to drink. The water was cold and tasted faintly fruity; he gulped it greedily, marveling that water could be so delicious. He was vaguely aware of sounds behind him - someone was shouting and running toward him - but he didn't stop drinking. A hand landed on his shoulder and he was pulled away from the spring. For a moment he resisted – he wanted more of the water – but his annoyance was rapidly suppressed by a surge of anxiety, dismay, and guilt. The strange emotional surge was accompanied by a wave of dizziness and he stumbled.

"You have to get out of here," the Doctor hissed in his ear, steering him away from the fountain. "Hurry!" Rory felt his heart start to race with anxiety even as his dizziness increased. A small part of him wondered why he was so nervous – he'd just had some water from a spring – but the feeling was overwhelming. He stumbled and the Doctor's hands tightened on his shoulders, steadying him. They stepped out of the stone circle and stopped as they came face to face with a half-dozen of the blue-skinned natives. None of them were smiling; instead, their dark brows were drawn together in frowns. A new wave of emotions pummeled Rory – horror, outrage, disgust and anger. He felt his stomach churn.

"Doctor?" Amy stepped up beside Rory, reaching out to catch his arm. "What's happening?"

"Keep hold of Rory," the Doctor said, letting go of his shoulders as he took a half-step forward.

"Doctor…" Amy sighed in exasperation even as she tightened her grip on Rory's arm. "What's going on?" she murmured.

"I… I don't know," Rory said. It was a struggle to hold on to the words; there were so many thoughts in his head, and so many emotions. He swayed a little and Amy moved closer to him.

"Are you going to be sick?" she asked.

"May…" Rory stopped mid-word as he realized it was more than just strange thoughts and feelings in his head; he could hear voices too. One was a stranger's but the other was clearly recognizable as the Doctor's.

 _Drinking from the sacred fountain is forbidden to outsiders_ boomed the stranger's deep-voice.

 _I'm sorry_ , replied the Doctor's voice. _I didn't realize what he was doing until it was too late. No disrespect was intended._

"Rory?"

"We… we need to… get away from here," Rory managed. "Run!" Amy hesitated but Rory was already turning. She moved with him, drawing one of his arms over her shoulders as they started for the cave entrance.

"Wait!" protested the Doctor, but Rory didn't slow down. His vision was going gray but he kept moving anyway, trusting Amy to guide him. He could hear someone coming after them and he tried to move faster. He didn't know why but he had to get away. When a hand landed on his shoulder he whirled, lashing out blindly.

"Rory!" Amy protested, pulling away from him. He sagged back against the cave, blinking. His vision cleared enough to show him the Doctor sprawled on the ground, one hand on his jaw. Amy dropped beside him to help him sit up. She glared up at Rory. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"Doc… Doctor," Rory panted. He could feel the Doctor's anxiety. The thoughts of the blue-skinned people had faded but he was still aware of their emotions; they were angry and worried.

"I know, Rory," the Doctor said, his words echoing his voice inside Rory's head.

"But… but how?"

"What are you two talking about?" Amy asked, frowning between the two of them. Rory realized he couldn't hear her thoughts at all.

 _Human. Not telepathic._ The Doctor's voice was quiet in his mind but Rory was still startled.

"We need to keep moving," the Doctor said out loud as he got to his feet.

"What is going on?" Amy demanded, not moving from where she stood. The Doctor caught her arm, pulling her toward the cave's entrance.

"Later Amy," he insisted, swinging her forward. Rory pushed off the cave and swayed into the Doctor. For an instant he was overwhelmed with a flood of emotions – too many to sort through – and then it was as if a door had snapped shut. They were gone, along with the Doctor's thoughts. He looked up in surprise to see the Doctor's face was grim, with lines of tension around his eyes and his mouth set in a hard line.

"How…" Rory began, but the Doctor cut him off.

"Later, Rory," he said, his voice strained. He tightened his grip on Rory's arm, steering him toward the cave's glowing entrance.

Rory wasn't sure how long they ran, and he had no idea where they were going. The cave seemed to branch out in a dozen different directions and he hoped the Doctor knew how to get them back to the TARDIS. Finally they came to a stop and Rory sagged against the wall behind him, struggling to catch his breath. Amy was beside him, frowning even as she panted. The Doctor leaned against the wall opposite them. The glowing cave-walls cast a bluey-green light over everything, but Rory could see the bruise forming on his chin.

"Doctor…" Amy began, obviously determined to renew her earlier questioning.

"Ssh," the Doctor murmured. His gaze was turned in the direction they'd come from and he was listening intently.

Rory waited in the silence, studying the glowing rock. He was frightened but he still felt a sense of wonder. The word _cool_ popped into his mind and he realized there was a sense of excitement mingling with his fear. He started and turned toward the Doctor to find the Time Lord looking back at him. He could feel the Doctor's guilt and regret even before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Rory," he murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

Rory stared at the Doctor, unsure what to say. He could see the Time Lord's guilt in his eyes even as the feeling of it faded from his mind. He wanted to say something reassuring – to tell the Doctor he wasn't to blame for their current situation – but he wasn't sure he really knew what their situation was. Unfortunately Amy wasn't so hesitant about speaking up.

"You're sorry?" she demanded, frowning at the Doctor. "Sorry for what?" The Doctor flinched and Rory spoke up quickly, hoping to take the sting out of Amy's words.

"It's not your fault," he said, fighting back a wince of his own when Amy turned to stare at him. He felt his face flush but he forced himself to hold her gaze.

"What is going on with the two of you?" she demanded, looking between Rory and the Doctor.

"Nothing's going on," Rory protested.

"It's like I'm only hearing half the conversation," Amy continued, ignoring his protest as she shifted her gaze to the Doctor. "It's not bad enough the blue people decided they didn't like us anymore…"

"I think that's my fault actually," Rory said. She turned back toward him, her frown deepening.

"How? How is it your fault?" she demanded. When he didn't answer she looked back to the Doctor. "What is he talking about?"

"There's something not right here," the Doctor murmured, his expression turning thoughtful. Amy waited a moment before stomping her foot in exasperation.

"Doctor!"

"The fountain Rory drank from is considered sacred by the men we encountered. He… blasphemed by drinking from it."

"But he didn't know that!"

"I did try to explain that to them…" the Doctor began.

"But I panicked and ran so now they think we're up to something," Rory finished.

"How do you know that?" Amy asked, staring at him. She kept her eyes on Rory as she continued. "Doctor, what is he talking about? What's happening to him?"

"I'm not certain," the Doctor answered, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He looked at Rory, his brows lifting slightly and Rory nodded his consent. He held still while the Doctor scanned him with the screwdriver. The Time Lord had managed to screen his thoughts once more. Rory wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed. As disconcerting as hearing the Doctor's thoughts had been, at least he wouldn't have had to wait to find out what the scan revealed.

"Doctor," Amy hissed impatiently, "what is wrong with Rory?"

"Nothing's wrong with him," the Doctor replied distractedly, studying his screwdriver. "He's going to be fine."

"Doctor!" Amy's voice sharpened and the Doctor turned toward her, shaking his head.

"Please keep your voice down," he whispered.

"What is happening to me?" Rory asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. For a second the wall between the Doctor's mind and his wavered and he gasped as he realized what the Time Lord was thinking. "I'm… I'm _telepathic_?"

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"He's what?" Amy's whisper was shrill and both Rory and the Doctor winced. She stared at them, her face full of worry.

"You said humans weren't telepathic," Rory said.

"You aren't, usually."

"Then how can I be?"

"The part of your brain used for telepathy is there," the Doctor replied, turning thoughtful again. "You lot took up speaking and stopped using it but it's still there, sitting dormant."

"So something's triggered mine, woke it up."

"Apparently," the Doctor said. For a second Rory could hear the Doctor's voice in his mind, repeating an apology. He waved his hand, dismissing it even as his thoughts raced. This had all started with the fountain. From the moment he'd seen it he'd felt irresistibly drawn to it. The water hadn't tasted like ordinary water either, and the Doctor had had to pull him away from it. He'd felt dizzy and that had almost distracted him from a strange surge of emotions. He realized now the wave of guilt and anxiety had come not from him but from the Doctor. He'd been getting snatches of it ever since, whenever the Doctor's shielding of his thoughts wavered.

"I don't understand," Amy said. "How…"

"I'm not sure," the Doctor admitted. "Something in the water from the spring must have triggered his latent abilities…"

"Can we undo it?" Rory asked, cutting him off.

"I think it will wear off in time," the Doctor replied thoughtfully. "If it was caused by something in the water…"

"But you don't know." Rory suppressed a shudder.

"We need to get back to the TARDIS. I can do a full work-up there." The Doctor tucked his screwdriver back into his pocket and turned away from them, frowning down the tunnel.

"And how are we supposed to get back to the TARDIS?" Amy asked. "We're stuck in this cave and there are angry blue people between us and the entrance."

"The village elder shared a map of these caves with me," the Doctor said, continuing to stare down the tunnel. "There's another way out. We just have to find it."

"Before the mullet-people catch up to us and kill us," Amy muttered. The Doctor sighed and turned to glare at her.

"Well yes, that is the idea," he retorted. "Now, Amy, hush." He turned back to his study of the tunnel and with a huff Amy leaned back against the cave wall. After a moment she moved closer to Rory.

"Can you hear what I'm thinking?" she asked softly.

"No," he answered, pushing himself off the wall. Amy frowned and he wasn't sure if she was relieved or confused. When she spoke there was a mixture of both in her voice.

"Why not?" She frowned at him for a second before looking to the Doctor. When the Time Lord didn't respond, she turned back to Rory.

"I don't know," he answered. "I think it's because you're not telepathic. It's like you're not… broadcasting."

"Can you hear what the Doctor's thinking?"

"Sometimes," Rory said, glancing at him. "Not right now."

"I've… shielded my thoughts," the Doctor said, not turning toward them. He was still studying the tunnel they were in, frowning in concentration. Rory watched him, feeling his skin crawl. It wasn't just him being aware of the thoughts and feelings of others; they were aware of his too. He felt his face grow warm as a rush of embarrassing memories replayed in his mind. There was the time he'd foolishly run for class treasurer, and tripped on his way to the stage to make his speech; his awful first kiss with Becky Stanson… His humiliation was interrupted by a fresh wave of dizziness. He felt his heart start to pound as he realized he could sense the Mullettes approaching.

"Doctor…"

"I know." The Doctor turned and stepped toward him, his expression serious. "Rory, you're going to have to shield your thoughts."

"What?"

"As long as you're… broadcasting they'll be able to find us," the Doctor said, taking a step closer to them and lowering his voice.

"But I… I don't know how," Rory protested.

"Imagine a door in your mind with your thoughts locked behind it." The Doctor accompanied his instructions with an image – for a second Rory could see a steel door, heavily riveted and bolted shut, in his head. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll try," he said, closing his eyes. He tried to imagine the door standing between him and anyone else's mind, but his thoughts kept racing. How close were the mullet-people? What did they intend to do when they caught up to them? The Doctor had said they were nonviolent but Rory could feel how angry they were. His heart started to race as his fear increased.

"Come on, Rory," urged the Doctor. "Concentrate. You _can_ do this." Rory squeezed his eyes shut tighter and tried again. He could see the door but each time he started to picture it closed, a new thought would distract him. He could hear the mental shouts of the blue-skinned people now. The image of the door wavered and with a sinking heart, he opened his eyes.

"I can't," he gasped. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," the Doctor told him, clapping him gently on the shoulder.

"Now what?" asked Amy.

"Now… we run," the Doctor said, motioning for them to precede him in the tunnel. Amy caught Rory's arm to steady him and they hurried forward, moving deeper into the cave.

They hadn't gone far when they had to slow their steps to dodge around a cluster of stalagmites and stalactites. The jagged bits of stone increased, slowing their speed to a walk. Rory heard the sonic screwdriver sound behind them and turned to see the Doctor scanning the cave walls, floor and ceiling. There was no sign of their pursuers behind him but Rory could feel their emotions. They were still angry, and growing increasingly desperate to find the violators.

After a few minutes the trio moved past the last of the stalagmites. The Doctor came to a stop and Amy and Rory followed suit.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Keep going," the Doctor said, pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and taking a few steps back toward the last of the stalactites. He was staring up at the cave's ceiling and nearly tripped over loose rock. Amy started back toward him, reaching out to catch his arm and steady him. He started and pulled back, waving her away. "Go on. I'll catch you up."

"We don't know where we're going," Amy protested. "You're the one with the map in your head."

"Just keep moving," the Doctor replied. "I'll be right behind you." He waved them away before turning back to study the rock formations again. Amy and Rory took a few steps before the sound of the screwdriver made them turn and look back. The Doctor had his screwdriver raised above his head, pointing toward the ceiling. Amy and Rory winced and covered their ears as the sound began to reverberate through the cave. The Doctor was wincing too but he didn't move the screwdriver. He waved with his free hand for them to keep going. A moment later the stalactites near him began to crumble. One crashed to the cave floor, sending out a shower of rock-chips and dust. The Doctor flinched as the debris flew toward him but he didn't move. A second stalactite fell and then the entire ceiling seemed to come down. Rory turned to tackle Amy, pushing her to the ground and shielding her with his body as chunks of stone flew around them.


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed to take a long time for the rocks to stop falling. A few hit Rory, stinging his legs and back when they struck before bouncing off him to the ground. The sound of them slamming into the hard floor made his ears ring. Stone-chips and dust seemed to fill the air, burning Rory's eyes and throat. Amy was still beneath him, her eyes squeezed shut. Rory followed suit, biting back a yelp of surprise when a stone hit the back of his head. The sturdy mesh of his pith helmet absorbed most of the blow and the rock stayed where it was instead of bouncing away.

At last the stones stopped falling, leaving behind a thick cloud of dust and an eerie silence. Rory opened his eyes cautiously, squinting as the grit in the air stung them. Amy's eyes were still squeezed shut, her hands clenched in his shirt-front. As he watched she slowly relaxed her hands and opened her eyes, copying his squint.

"Is it… over?" she asked, her voice sounding raspy. A second later she started to cough and Rory moved, tipping his head to dislodge the rock on his hat. He shifted so he was no longer covering Amy and pulled her into a seated position. His eyes were watering and he could feel a tickle in his throat. The dust was settling toward the cave floor and Rory got to his feet. He began to cough but he leaned down to catch Amy's hand, pulling her up with him. They stood, their heads above the worst of the cloud, wiping at their tears as they struggled to catch their breath.

"Are… are you ok?" Rory managed to ask. Amy nodded.

"The… Doctor?" she croaked, turning away from Rory. She gasped, which set off another fit of coughing, and Rory moved to pound her back. His eyes went wide despite the stinging dust and he fought to stop a gasp of his own. There was a sloping pile of stones where the Doctor had been standing, spanning the width of the cave and reaching up to where the ceiling had been. There was only darkness there now, stretching up who knew how far. There was no sign of the Doctor.

Amy's shock only kept her still for a moment. She pulled away from Rory and started up the slope, teetering as the pile shifted beneath her feet. She called for the Doctor between coughs. Rory fought back a cough of his own and started after her.

"Amy, wait," he said, struggling to keep his balance. "This… this isn't safe."

"We have to find him," she retorted, continuing to struggle forward. The rock pile shifted again and she fell forward. Rory reached for her but she was too far from him. She landed on her hands and knees in the rocks with a yelp of pain. Rory crouched beside her carefully and she looked up at him, tears streaking through the dust on her face. "He… he's not… under that, is he?" She turned toward the wall of stone in front of them and shuddered.

"I'm not sure," Rory admitted and she dipped her head, shuddering again. After a moment she took a shallow breath and turned to look up at him.

"Can… can you… sense him?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I… I don't know," he said, feeling his stomach lurch as he realized he'd had no telepathic sensations since the rocks started falling. Had the effect of the water from the fountain worn off? Or was the Doctor… He didn't let himself finish the thought. When one of Amy's hands came to rest on his arm he started, coming back to himself. She was staring at him, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Please, Rory." He looked at her tear-streaked face and sighed.

"I'll try, Amy," he said, feeling guilt stab at him when her face brightened. He had no idea if this would work, if he'd be able to reach out at all let alone contact the Doctor. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the dust-filled air and the weight of Amy's gaze. The Doctor had told him to picture a door to shield his thoughts; this time he tried imagining his hand stretching out, reaching through the wall of rocks.

For a moment Rory felt nothing. In his mind's eye his hand was through the wall of rock, wiggling around in empty space. He yelped in surprise when another hand covered his.

 _Rory! Are you and Amy ok?_ The Doctor's worry came through with the question. There was more, a tangled jumble of thoughts and feelings, but Rory couldn't pin them down.

"We're ok," he said, speaking aloud as he tried to send the thoughts.

"Ask him if he's all right," Amy hissed. Rory ignored her, struggling to hold on to the connection with the Doctor.

 _You need to get out of there_ , the Doctor thought at him. _Take Amy and get yourselves back to the TARDIS._ Along with the words came an image of a map, showing the route out of the caves. Rory realized the Doctor was sharing the knowledge the village elder had given him.

"What about you?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"

 _I'm fine – don't worry about me._

"Doctor…"

 _Rory, just go._

"But…"

 _It isn't going to take them long to figure out where you are. You need to go_ _now_ _._ If the Doctor had been speaking, Rory would have said his voice sounded strained. He could feel the Time Lord's agitation and a second later, he understood why. A wave of emotions pummeled him, dominated by a primal rage. The tumult of fury hit him as hard as the falling stones had and he swayed. Amy's hands tightened on his shoulders, steadying him. He sucked in a breath as his stomach twisted with nausea. The Mullettes were close, and their anger had increased.

He tried to turn his thoughts back to the Doctor but his connection with the Time Lord was gone.

"Rory? Rory, what's happening?" Amy's voice cut through the confusion in his mind and he opened his eyes to find her watching him, her face full of concern. "Are you ok?"

"I... I'm ok," he said, struggling to hold on to the words. "We… we need to go."

"Go? Go where? What about the Doctor?"

"He wants us to go… back to the TARDIS," Rory managed. The emotions from the Mullettes were getting stronger. They had to be close to the wall of rocks now. What would they do when they found the Doctor?

"But what about him?" Amy was demanding. "We can't just leave him!"

"We can't… get to him. He… wants us… to go." It was getting harder and harder for Rory to hold back his nausea. Sweat was trickling down his back and despite the warm air in the cave, he felt himself start to shiver. "Amy… we have… to move." He struggled to stand and Amy moved with him, steadying him when he wobbled.

"What's happening to you?" she asked.

"They… they're close," he said, stumbling over the rocks as he moved away from the wall. "I… I can feel…" He stopped talking as the rocks shifted beneath his feet. Amy tightened her grip on his arm. "I… I have… to move." He turned away from the wall of rocks, stumbling and swaying toward the edge of the sloping pile. He needed to have solid ground beneath his feet. Amy followed him, reaching out to steady him as the stones shifted under their feet. Somehow they made it back to the cave floor without falling. Rory came to a stop, feeling his legs trembling. The emotions of the Mullettes were still coming at him, adding a greater sense of urgency to the Doctor's insistence he take Amy and go. He took a few wavering steps away from the rock pile, only to be forced to a stop when Amy stepped in front of him.

"Rory…"

"The Doctor… wants us to go," he said.

"Go where? And what about him?" she demanded. Rory felt his nausea increase. As badly as he wanted to run from this cave, the thought of what the furious Mullettes might do to the Doctor when they found him was sickening.

"He said… I should get you… to the TARDIS," he replied, his voice shaking.

"And just abandon him? We can't do that."

"I know. But if… we don't go… the Mull… the blue people… will catch us."

"But…"

"If we… get caught… we can't help."

"We don't even know where we're going," Amy protested weakly.

"The Doctor… showed me." When Amy frowned, Rory continued. "He had… a map… in his head."

"And now it's in yours," she finished, looking thoughtful. "Did you see a way to get to him?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head. Talking was getting more and more difficult as the Mullettes drew closer. "He just… showed me… the way out." Amy's face fell but she didn't move. Rory half-expected to turn and find the Mullettes standing behind him, despite the presence of the wall of rocks. He felt himself swaying. "Amy... we have to…"

"Ok," she said, stepping forward to draw his arm over her shoulders. Her face was grim as she started away from the cave-in. "But I don't care what he said – we are not hiding in the TARDIS. We're going to find a way to him." Rory nodded; his mouth was clamped shut now as his nausea increased. He stayed silent as Amy propelled him through the cave.

By the time they reached the first fork in the passage-way, Rory was able to speak again. The farther from the cave-in they got, the better he felt. Guilt still gnawed at him but the emotions of the Mullettes faded. When they reached the second turn, he no longer needed Amy's support. By the time they reached the third divide, his directions were no longer needed; sunlight was visible down one of the tunnels and their steps quickened as they drew closer to it.

They both breathed a sigh of relief as they emerged from the cave. They moved cautiously into a small grassy area, surrounded on two sides by the rocky hills which contained the caves. Rory concentrated, relaxing a little when he realized the only thoughts in his head were his own. He'd just taken a deep breath, appreciating the dust-free air, when Amy yelped. He turned to see her pressing a hand to the side of her neck even as a stinging sensation shot through his shoulder. Amy started to slump and he felt his own legs buckling as his vision went gray. The last thing he saw before the blackness claimed him was Amy's hat bouncing away as she hit the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

Rory returned to consciousness slowly. His could feel stiffness in his neck and a sore spot on his shoulder, but the main thing he was aware of was a vile, bitter taste in his mouth. His tongue was also uncomfortable. It seemed to be coated in terry cloth and to have swollen to at least twice normal size. He swallowed painfully and struggled to think of something else, like figuring out where he was and how he'd gotten there. He didn't make much progress with either question, but he did manage to shift his attention from his tongue. He was laying on something scratchy and the surface beneath it was solid. The air smelled faintly of soil and flowers. When he opened his eyes, he found he was on a mat woven from reeds on top of an earthen floor. He propped himself up on one elbow to study his surroundings. He was in a low-ceilinged room with mud-brick walls. Amy was stretched out on another mat a few feet to his left and in the wall behind her was a small window, letting in light and floral-scented air. To his right a doorway opened into another room. There was a faint hub-bub of voices coming from the other room and he realized with a start that he was hearing them in his head. He froze, bracing himself for the dizziness and nausea which always seemed to accompany telepathy. To his surprise, neither sensation assailed him. After a moment, he dared to move, sitting up fully.

Amy stirred on her mat, making the material rustle softly. She turned onto her side, sighing a little, and opened her eyes slowly. Rory scooted across the floor so he was beside her and she blinked up at him.

"Where... where are we?" she asked, sitting up and looking around the small room.

"I don't know," Rory answered, keeping his voice low. "There are people – Mullettes – in the other room."

"You can… hear them?" Amy asked. He nodded and she frowned, looking worried. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not dizzy or sick?"

"I'm fine, Amy," he repeated. "No dizziness, no nausea. Just a nasty taste in my mouth."

"Maybe you're getting used to… it."

"Maybe." Rory looked away, staring at his feet. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of getting used to telepathy. The Doctor had believed the effect of the water would fade, but that didn't seem to be happening. The thought of the Doctor made his heart start to pound. He remembered his telepathic conversation with him, remembered fleeing the cave with Amy, but then what? Who had brought them here, and what had happened to the Doctor?

"Rory." Amy nudged him and he looked up to find three of the blue-skinned people standing just inside the doorway. They all wore simple dresses, belted at the waist, and all three appeared to be female. Two of them came forward to place cups and plates of food in front of Rory and Amy before bowing and retreating. The third remained in the doorway until they were gone, smiling at Rory and Amy. She wore the same hair-style as the other Mullettes – cut short in the front and long in the back – but her long hair hung in fine braids. Her almond-shaped eyes were the color of amber and she wore e was a plain gold bangle on one of her wrists and another on one ankle. While the other women had worn plain belts on their simple dresses, hers was elaborately tooled and included a sheathed knife. She moved with grace and authority, almost gliding forward to sit on the empty mat Rory had occupied.

 _My name is Roona. I am here to make you welcome and comfortable._ Rory started at the voice in his head. It was deeper than he'd expected, and very melodious.

"I'm Rory, and this is my… this is Amy," he stammered. He felt his face warm as he realized he was speaking to a telepath, but it didn't seem to trouble Roona.

 _You are both welcome here. I know you have many questions and I will try to answer them. First, however, I think you should eat._ The woman gestured to the dishes in front of them. Rory nodded, reaching out for one of the cups. Amy arched a brow at him and he shrugged.

"She wants us to eat," he told her, taking a cautious sip. The cup contained juice and he took a bigger drink, eager to wash away the bad taste in his mouth. Amy followed suit before they both turned their attention to the plates. The Mullettes had brought them pieces of flat-bread, smeared with a nutty-tasting paste similar in texture to peanut butter. Rory ate a piece before turning his attention back to the Mullette woman.

"Where… where are we?" he asked. He still felt foolish talking but he wasn't sure he could focus well enough to send his thoughts any other way. It didn't seem to bother the Mullette woman.

 _You are in our village, in my home. You are safe here._

"How… how did we get here?"

 _We brought you. I apologize for the darts, but we had to get you away quickly and quietly._

"There were… people chasing us."

 _Yes._

"I… I made them angry," Rory said, feeling his palms start to sweat. "I… I did something…"

 _You drank from the fountain._

"Yes. I didn't realize it was forbidden…"

 _You did no harm, and you meant no disrespect. We understand._

"But… they were furious. Outraged."

 _That is not your fault, Rory._

"I don't understand."

 _You met the mad ones. They are… irrational, violent. They would have chased anyone they met. It was nothing you did – you were simply there._ Rory was about to ask what had happened to turn these people mad when Amy nudged him.

"What's going on?" she hissed.

"We're… communicating."

"I know that," Amy grumbled. "What's she saying?"

"She was explaining about the people who chased us."

"What about the Doctor? Is he here? Does she know where he is? Is he ok?" Rory turned back to Roona, intending to explain what Amy was asking, but the woman's next thought message made it clear she could understand Amy even without telepathy.

 _Your companion speaks of another._ The words were accompanied with a feeling of alarm.

"Yes, we were with a friend," he said.

 _He was not with you when you left the cave._

"There… there was a cave-in. He couldn't get out." The woman's eyes widened and Rory could feel her emotions intensify. She was upset, full of dismay.

 _I'm sorry. We thought… we thought you two were the only ones_. The blue woman met his gaze, her expression sad and earnest. She was desperate for him to know they hadn't meant to leave anyone behind. He felt his heart start to pound and Amy's hand came to rest on his arm, holding just a little too tight for comfort.

"What's she saying?" she asked quietly. When he didn't answer she spoke again, her voice louder. "Rory, what is she saying?" He ignored her question, keeping his eyes on the alien woman.

"Do you know what happened to him?"

The blue woman shook her head. _If the mad ones caught up to him…_ She didn't finish the thought. _I am sorry._

"You think they would have… hurt him?" Rory felt his heart start to pound.

 _The men who pursued you are out-of-control, filled with rage and violence. I am sorry._ The woman radiated anxiety, guilt, and sorrow. Rory's mouth went dry.

"Rory!" Amy's tone was a mixture of fear and anger. "What did she say? She's not… the Doctor isn't…"

"I don't know," he said. His mind was racing now. The Doctor had wanted him to shield his thoughts to hide from the Mullettes. He hadn't been able to do it, but the Time Lord could. He'd been able to keep his mind closed to Rory. If he'd been able to move away from the cave-in, and to shield his thoughts…

 _It is unlikely._ The woman's voice startled him, reminding him that his thoughts were open to her.

"But you don't know that," he replied.

 _If the crazed ones found him, he's most likely dead._

" _If_ they found him," he repeated.

 _He was trapped by a cave-in…_

"He had a map of the caves. He could have found somewhere to hide."

"Rory…"

"She doesn't know, Amy," he replied, not turning away from the Mullette woman. "Do you?"

 _I don't know,_ she admitted. _You should not get your hopes up. Chances are he was found._

"He's our friend. If there's any chance he got away…"

 _I understand your feelings…_

"Then please, take us back. Or show us the way."

 _It would be very dangerous._

"I know that," Rory replied. "But we have to try."

"We're not giving up on him," Amy said firmly. "If you won't take us back, we'll go on our own." She started to stand, but Rory caught her hand and pulled her back down. He could feel the Mullette woman wavering. After a moment, she sighed.

 _I will confer with the others. Some may be willing to take you back to the caves, but you should not get your hopes up. It is unlikely we will find your friend alive._ The woman rose to her feet and moved smoothly out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Amy waited until Roona was out of the room before tugging her hand away from Rory's grasp.

"What did she say?" she demanded, turning so she was facing him. She was scowling but Rory didn't need telepathy to tell him that under her angry posturing, Amy was scared.

"She's going to talk with the others about helping us," he said, reaching out to catch her hand again. "She was upset when she realized the Doctor had been left behind."

" _She_ was upset," Amy muttered, shaking her head.

"We didn't have a choice, Amy."

"Yeah, that makes me feel much better."

"We'll find him," Rory said.

"That woman…"  
"Roona."

"Roona didn't seem optimistic." Amy's voice wavered and Rory was grateful she hadn't been able to hear the Mullette woman's thoughts.

"She doesn't know the Doctor," he said, trying to sound confident. He waited, bracing himself for more questions, but Amy was quiet. Her hand clenched tightly around his and he squeezed back, struggling to keep his face calm as his mind raced. What if he was wrong? What if the Doctor hadn't been able to get away from the mad ones?

His thoughts were disrupted when another of the Mullettes entered the room. She bowed as soon as he looked her way. When she rose Rory recognized one the women who'd brought them the food.

 _Roona has asked me to show you to the baths while she confers with the others_ the woman thought at him. _If you'll come with me._ She gestured toward the doorway, giving them a tight smile. Rory looked down at himself, frowning at the layer of dust on his skin.

"What's happening?" Amy asked. "Where does she want us to go?"

"She's offering to show us to some baths," he said, getting to his feet. He couldn't stand fully without his head brushing the ceiling. Amy rose as well, stooping to avoid hitting her head. They had to duck to get through the doorway.

The blue woman led them through another room, heading for a wooden door. Rory got a glimpse of the furnishings as they passed them. There were more mats near a hearth and a few stools clustered around a long table. The woman opened the door and waved them out into the bright sunshine. Rory winced at the sudden increase in light, squinting at his surroundings. The house they exited was one of several on a narrow street. Each mud-brick home looked much like its neighbors, but the occupants had added little touches. Curtains hung in one home's windows, while another was fronted with flower-beds. The hard-packed dirt road was clear of debris and all the homes seemed to be in good repair.

Three houses to their left was an intersection. The narrow street crossed a wider road. Their guide turned toward in this direction and they moved after her. Rory felt butterflies forming in his stomach. Now that they were outside, he was more aware of the buzz of thoughts coming from the residents. He caught fragments of conversations as they passed houses, just as he would have if the occupants had been speaking. The topics under discussion were ordinary – one family considering what to prepare for supper, two women wondering whether or not an article of clothing could be repaired or should be replaced, a pair of girls arguing over who had neglected to feed a pet – but running like a current under all the mundane chatter was an intense anxiety. The people in this village were worried about something.

Their guide turned right onto the wide street. Rory and Amy followed, continuing to study their surroundings. There were more people out on this road and the hum of telepathic conversations increased until Rory couldn't make out the words anymore. His skin crawled and he could feel himself growing tense. He knew it was at least partly due to not being able to tell what the villagers were thinking but he wondered if some of their anxiety was rubbing off on him as well. The tension in the atmosphere increased the further he walked. A little girl playing in the street went wide-eyed at the sight of him and dashed to cling to her mother's skirts. The woman turned away, taking the child into a nearby house.

The street seemed to get emptier the further they went, though Rory was aware of people watching him from the houses. The telepathic conversations seemed to fade but the feelings of anxiety and fear were increasing. Their guide's steps grew quicker. Rory wanted to ask her what had everyone so nervous, but he didn't think she'd answer him. Aside from her greeting, she hadn't shared any thoughts with him. She walked a few steps ahead of them, never looking back.

The woman finally came to a stop in front of a large building. The structure was framed in brick, with a stone wall running down the center. The exterior walls were made of wooden panels which stopped about a half-foot shy of the ground and the roof to allow for ventilation. There were doorways on either side of the central stone wall.

 _The baths are inside_ , the blue woman told Rory. _You may use the door on the right._ She waved him toward the door and he nodded. Amy moved with him toward the doorway. A woman emerged from the door on their left, her eyes going wide at the sight of them. Rory smiled at her, hoping to be reassuring, but the woman darted away. When he looked back he found their guide frowning at him.

"What was that about?" Amy asked.

"I don't know," he answered, turning back to look at the building. "C'mon, let's get cleaned up." She moved through the door and he stepped after her.

Inside the bath-house, Rory and Amy found basins and hand-pumps along the stone wall. There were wooden tubs along one of the outer walls. At the far end, behind screens woven from reeds, were latrines. The room was surprisingly well-lit and Rory looked around for the source of the light. He spotted mirrors positioned in corners near the ceiling, catching and reflecting the sunlight. Amy motioned for Rory to follow her and stepped to one of the basins.

"Wha…"

"Wait," she murmured, reaching out to start pumping water. Once the water was sloshing into the basin she spoke again, keeping her voice low. "Do you trust these people?"

"They got us away from the ones chasing us," Rory said, frowning. Roona had seemed welcoming and her distress about the Doctor being left behind had felt genuine, but now that Amy raised the question he had to wonder. Could a telepath lie, or project a feeling which wasn't sincere? He had no idea.

"But why were there people chasing us at all?" Amy asked.

"Roona called them the mad ones."

"Mad like insane?"

"I… I guess. She said they weren't chasing us because of anything we did. They would have done it anyway." He took a shaky breath. "She said they were irrational and violent."

"It doesn't make sense. The Doctor said these people were peaceful."

"Maybe he made a mistake, brought us to the wrong place or time."

"Maybe." Amy was clearly skeptical.

"He has made mistakes before."

"Hmph." She shook her head. "There's something strange happening here."

"Amy…"

"Where are all the men?"

"What?"

"We didn't pass a single man on our way here."

"Maybe the men are away hunting or fishing or… something."

"The boys too? All the children we passed were girls." Rory frowned, replaying their walk through the village in his mind. He realized Amy was right; they hadn't passed anyone male on their way to the bath-house.

"What do you think is going on?" he asked.

"I don't know," Amy admitted, "but something's wrong."

"They're nervous about something."

"Did you see the way that one girl reacted to you? And her mother? They weren't just nervous - they were scared. So was the woman we passed outside."

"Yeah."

"Do you know why? Could you… sense anything?"

"I could tell people were anxious but not why." Amy frowned and Rory tried to explain. "It… it was like hearing parts of a lot of different conversations. I just had… impressions of feelings."

"What about that woman? The one who brought us here?"

"I wasn't getting anything from her. She must be shielding her thoughts."

"Speaking of her, I guess we'd better get cleaned up. If we stay in here too long, she'll start to wonder what we're doing," Amy said.

They emerged from the bath-house a few minutes later. They'd found some cloths on a bench and wetted them in the sink before wiping away the worst of the dust. Rory wasn't sure what had happened to their hats, but remembering his had reminded him of the rock which landed on him. While Amy had twisted her hair up onto the back of her head, he's run a hand through his, checking for any bumps or bruises. He'd been relieved not to find any. Amy had tucked in a last pin before glancing at him. At his nod, she'd started for the door and he'd followed. Their guide was waiting where they'd left her. If she found it suspicious that they'd taken so long, she didn't give it away. Her face was expressionless and her thoughts shielded. She motioned for them to follow her before turning to start back down the street. Amy arched a brow at Rory and he shrugged. They moved after the woman.

The wide road they walked along was empty this time. Everyone had retreated into their homes. Rory tried to concentrate on the fragments of thoughts and feelings he could pick up, hoping to pinpoint the cause for the undercurrent of anxiety. The nervous tension was more pronounced on the return trip but he still couldn't pick up any hints as to the cause. He had the strong impression that the villagers were trying very hard not to think about what was bothering them. Their guide kept her thoughts locked away. Once again she stayed a few steps ahead of them and this time she quickened her pace. It was obvious even without hearing her thoughts that she was eager to get away from them.

When they reached Roona's house the woman motioned for them to go inside.

 _Roona will return shortly with the others' decision_ , she told Rory. Her face was neutral but he had the feeling she wanted to wrinkle her nose or run away or perhaps both. He'd felt a mixture of scorn and fear coming from her in that instant of communication.

"Thank you for showing us to the baths," he said. The woman ignored his thanks, waving him toward the house.

 _Please, go inside._ He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what was bothering her. Was he offending her by speaking? Her face remained a blank and she had her thoughts shielded once more. With a sigh he nodded and turned to the house.

"Come on, Amy. We're supposed to wait inside."


	8. Chapter 8

Rory had to stoop to get through the doorway into Roona's house. His head was still down when he heard a woman's voice saying his name. He started, straightening up too fast and banging his head into the ceiling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," continued the voice. Rory stared, shocked to find the speaker was a Mullette woman. She was by the table, leaning against it with one ankle crossed over the other. Despite the casual pose, Rory could feel her impatience; she'd been waiting for them. Her pure white hair was cropped short and there was a bangle bracelet on each of her wrists. She smiled sympathetically, increasing the crinkles around her amber-colored eyes, as Rory rubbed the back of his head.

"You… you speak," he stammered, and immediately felt foolish for saying something so obvious.

"I do," the woman responded, pushing off the table. "I intended to explain that, and answer your other questions too, but I didn't realize you'd be gone so long. There isn't time now. We need to go."

"What?" Amy stepped up beside Rory, struggling to look between him and the white-haired woman without bumping her head. "Go where? Why? Who…"

"I'll explain as much as I can on the way, but we have to hurry."

"Hurry where?" demanded Amy.

"Look, I know you're confused and curious, but there really isn't time for this. I need you both to come with me." The woman's voice was level but Rory could feel her impatience increasing. Wherever she wanted to take them, she felt it was urgent for them to get there.

"I think we should go with her," he told Amy, speaking before she could object again. She stared at him for a second, her brows knitted together in a worried frown.

"Ok," she said at last, turning back to the woman. She was still frowning. "At least tell us where we're going."

"We're going to the council meeting," the woman answered, moving toward the door. Rory and Amy parted to let her through before turning to follow.

Their guide was waiting outside the house. She turned as they emerged, her brows lowering in a frown which was a mixture of alarm and annoyance.

 _What are you doing Noora?_ she thought at the white-haired woman. She was trying to project authority but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in her thoughts which undermined her efforts.

"They are coming with me," responded the woman called Noora, chuckling when the other woman gasped. She moved past her, motioning for Amy and Rory to follow. They did, leaving the woman gaping after them.

Noora moved swiftly down the street toward the wide thoroughfare they'd taken to the bath-house. Rory had to scramble a bit, despite his longer legs, to catch up to her.

"How is it you can talk?" he asked as he reached her side. "I thought all of you used telepathy."

"We do now," Noora answered, "but it wasn't always this way. It was only a few generations back that we began to develop telepathy. It didn't take long for people to decide it was the superior form of communication, and to look down on those people who still spoke. Within a generation speech was all but abandoned, at least in public." She turned onto the wider street, leading them in the same direction they'd gone to reach the bath-house. The road was just as empty as it had been before but the tension Rory had felt before had increased and he was aware of being watched.

"But you just spoke in public," Amy was saying.

"Ah, but I'm eccentric," Noora replied, smiling. "Come now – I know you have more questions and we haven't much time." Amy glanced at Rory and he took that as his cue to go first.

"Why are you taking us the council meeting?" he asked.

"We're going to insist they rescue your friend."

"But I thought Roona…" he began. Noora cut him off, shaking her head.

"Roona is too cautious. She won't like the idea of abandoning your friend, but she won't want to fight the council either. She needs someone at her back." She didn't say it but Rory got the impression Noora believed a mixture of support and harassment would be necessary to get Roona to do what they wanted.

"They agreed to rescue us," Amy said. "Why wouldn't they help the Doctor?"

"They weren't exactly eager to help you. It took more than a bit of convincing to get them to send a rescue party. I wish I'd known your friend was there then, but I fear if I'd urged them to save him too they might have balked at helping any of you."

"I still don't understand…"

"Have you noticed anything strange about our village, Amy? I mean aside from the fact that our skin is blue and we use telepathy to communicate."

"There are no men here," Amy replied. "Not even a male child."

"And do you know why?"

"How would we…"

"The people who chased you – did you notice anything about them?"

"They were angry…" Rory began. Noora shook her head.

"They were men. The mad ones are all men."

"All of them?" Amy asked. "Every single mad one is male?"

"Yes," Noora replied, "and that is why the search party was reluctant to bring you here, Rory, and why they'll be unwilling to look for your friend."

"Is that why there are no men here?" he asked. "They've all gone mad?"

"Not all of them. The illness does not seem to affect children or the elderly."

"Then where have they gone?" asked Amy.

"They've been removed from their homes, as a precaution." They moved past the bath-house and Rory's steps slowed a little as he gawked at the buildings they passed. They were larger than the houses they'd passed before. Despite being made of mud-bricks, he had the impression they were office buildings. Amy was still speaking and he quickened his steps to catch up to her and Noora.

"Removed to where?"

"There is a stockade on one side of the village."

"A stockade?" he panted. Noora glanced at him, her face twisting in a grimace.

"Yes. You see, there are no warning signs when a man is afflicted with the illness. He goes from happy and peaceable to angry and violent in a matter of minutes."

"So you've locked away anyone who might go mad."

"The women of this village are trying to keep themselves and what's left of their families safe," Noora said. "Most of the men went willingly. They'd seen others turn on their loved ones in the throes of the madness and couldn't bear the thought of doing it themselves. The children are there too, kept apart from the adults. Many women go in daily to care for them, and to see that the men have all they need."

"That's still horrible," Amy murmured.

"Yes, it is," agreed Noora, "but we don't know what else to do. We're not the only village affected either. This madness is spreading."

"Spreading how?" asked Rory.

"As far as I can gather, it began two villages away. As traders made their rounds from village to village, they carried the disease with them."

"It… it's contagious." Amy looked at Rory. "Is that possible?"

"I… I don't know. Maybe it's spread through telepathy."

"The Doctor would know," Amy murmured. Rory knew she was right, but he couldn't help feeling a stab of resentment. Noora glanced at him, arching a brow, and he frowned as an idea occurred to him.

"Is that why you want to rescue him?" he asked. "Because you think he'll be able to cure your people?"

"Why did you come here?" countered Noora.

"We thought this would be a nice place to visit," Rory answered, glancing at Amy. "The Doctor said it was beautiful here and that the people – you – were peaceful. We thought it would be relaxing."

"And that's all?" Noora sounded skeptical.

"Yes. Why did you think we came?"

"I thought you might have come to help us."

"Why would you think that?" asked Amy.

"He saved your planet from Prisoner Zero, didn't he? And freed a star whale – though that was mostly your doing." Amy's eyes widened and Rory stared. Prisoner Zero made sense, but he had no idea what Noora meant about a star whale.

"How do you know about that?" Amy demanded, her voice shaking. "I haven't told Rory about Starship UK." She glanced at him and flushed. "Yet."

"It isn't easy to read the thoughts of a non-telepath, but it can be done."

"You read my thoughts!" Amy came to a stop in the street, glowering at Noora. Rory stopped too and with a sigh, Noora turned to face them. Rory was one step ahead of Amy and one behind the Mullette woman. He hoped he wouldn't have to step between them. Amy's face was flushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Noora said. "I was stunned when I realized there'd been a third member of your party. Your friend managed to not only hide his thoughts from me but his presence as well."

"So?"

"I've never encountered anyone who could do that and it worried me. What if I'd been deceived about the two of you? I had to be sure you wouldn't be a danger to us when you woke."

"And you wanted to know more about the Doctor," Rory said. Noora's curiosity about the Time Lord was clear in her mind.

"Yes," she admitted. For a moment there was silence. Amy was still frowning, her expression full of hurt and anger. Noora's face was calm but Rory could sense her guilt, as well as a growing impatience. Finally, she broke the silence. "I understand you're upset, and you've every right to be, but if you want to save your friend you've got to put that aside for now. We need to get to that meeting."

"What makes you so sure we'll be able to convince the council to help?" Amy asked. "Why would they even let us in to their meeting?"

"Oh, they'll let us in," Noora replied, "and they'll let us speak."

"How can you know that?"

"Roona may be village leader now, but I'm still her mother," answered Noora, smiling grimly. "Come on. The meeting hall's just ahead."


	9. Chapter 9

The meeting hall was the largest building in the village, as far as Rory could tell. It took up one side of the large public square. It was also the grandest building he'd seen. Instead of the woven reed-mats which hung in the other doorways, the hall had a pair of wooden doors, covered in elaborate carvings. The other buildings around the square were taller, but somehow they failed to dwarf the hall. In the square's center sat a large fountain. Rory remembered seeing a similar, if far less massive, square at the center of the village they'd visited the day before. That square had been bright with sunshine and bustling with villagers getting water from the fountain. This one was shaded and empty.

They were half-way across the square when Rory stopped. Noora turned to look at him.

"Problem?"

"What… what are you planning to tell them?" he asked. "You… you can't go in there and… and promise them that the Doctor can cure the mad ones."

"Why not? If it gets them to agree to help us…"

"And what happens when they find out we've lied, Amy?"

"We're not lying. You know the Doctor – he'll want to help."

"We don't know if he'll be in any condition to try, let alone if he could do it," Rory objected. "We shouldn't… we shouldn't commit him."

"I have no intention of even suggesting your friend can cure anyone, Rory," Noora assured him. Her expression turned more sober as she continued. "You are going to have to concentrate in there. They'll be able to pick up on what you're thinking so make sure you don't reveal anything we don't want them to know."

"I'll try."

"Focus on what we want them to know – that you and your friends are good people who mean no harm and need help."

"What about me?" asked Amy.

"You don't need to worry about these women reading your thoughts," Noora replied. " _I_ can only do it with great difficulty."

Amy snorted. "So you're what – some kind of super telepath?"

"I'm… more skilled than most," Noora answered. "Now, are we ready? Rory?"

"I'm ready," he said. His throat felt swollen and he swallowed nervously. He was trying hard not to think about the Doctor finding a cure for the Mullettes' madness but it wasn't easy. _The Doctor is a good person and should be helped_ , he told himself. He kept repeating the idea as they finished crossing the square and entered the meeting hall.

The building Noora led them into contained just one large, high-ceilinged room. Rory was grateful not to have to stoop. There was a small stage at the far end of the room. A half-dozen Mullette women sat in a circle on it. Several of them turned at Noora's approach, their eyes going wide. Ripples of shock radiated from them, making the others turn as well. Roona sighed and got to her feet, coming to stand at the edge of the stage as Noora came to a stop a couple of feet from it.

 _Mother, what are you doing?_

"You're deciding the fate of their friend," Noora replied. A wave of revulsion accompanied shocked gasps from the other women. Roona flinched, emitting a mixture of resignation and embarrassment. "I thought they should be here."

 _Mother…_

 _The time for addressing the meeting is over._ Rory stared, trying to figure out who had interrupted Roona. After a second a woman stood, stepping up to stand beside Roona. She wore the usual short-in-front, long-in-back hair-style and like Roona, her long hair was braided. There were streaks of silver mingling with the black and her narrow eyes were dark brown. She folded her arms across her chest, causing the cluster of thin bracelets on one of her wrists to jangle. _We're about to vote now. You will have to leave._

"I would like an opportunity to address the council before you vote."

 _The time for that has passed_ Roona thought. _We're ready to vote now._ She seemed uncertain and Rory thought it wouldn't be difficult for Noora to get her to relent. The older woman opened her mouth to speak but the angry one cut her off.

 _No_. Her dark eyes narrowed as she glared at Noora. _You're too late to meddle this time, old woman._ Noora surprised him by responding telepathically.

 _Save your blustering, Toola. It doesn't impress me._ Her thoughts were accompanied by a powerful sense of authority. Rory felt the other women on the stage responding, shrinking back in their seats. Toola's anger increased as she fought an urge to retreat. Noora took a step toward the stage, turning her gaze to the other women. _Is this your decision? Are you o cowed by Toola that you'll let no dissenting voice be heard?_ The women on the stage shifted in their seats, their discomfort obvious. Only Toola remained unmoved. She was radiating fury like heat from a fire; Rory half-expected to see flames shoot out of her head.

 _You do not have permission to address the council_ , _Noora_ , she objected.

 _That's not up to you, Toola_. Noora looked to Roona, who was worrying her lower lip. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, turning to the seated women.

 _Noora will address us before we take our vote._ With a growl, Toola turned as well. Noora made her way to the end of the stage and climbed up, stepping to the center of the group of women. Amy and Rory moved, coming to stand beside each other as they watched the women on the stage.

"What's going on?" Amy murmured, leaning close to him.

"They're letting Noora… speak," he answered, keeping his voice down. He could feel the other women's indecisiveness, and Toola's fury. Noora was projecting confidence as she stood near the center of the group. He knew she was telling the others something but he was having a hard time focusing. He felt drained, as if he'd worked a double-shift. He closed his eyes, wishing he could close his mind as well. After a moment, Amy nudged him.

"What's she saying?" she asked. He shook himself, trying to bring his attention back to the group. Noora's thought was easy to pick out.

 _Are we so consumed with our own troubles that we've no compassion left for anyone else?_ He felt the other women react. Their opinions were swaying in Noora's favor. He could tell Toola sensed it as well; her anger increased.

"She… she's winning them over," he whispered, shutting his eyes again. Amy's hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" she asked. "You're not dizzy again?"

"No, I'm not dizzy. I'm just… it's exhausting, having so many thoughts in my head, trying to sort out where they're coming from." Amy dropped her hand from his shoulder, slipping her arm around his waist and drawing him toward her.

"Would it help if we went outside?" she asked.

"It might." Rory looked back to the stage, where the Mullette women were debating. Noora glanced over her shoulder to him and nodded.

"C'mon," Amy said, "let's go." She steered Rory toward the door and he went gratefully.

The square was still empty when they emerged from the hall. Amy guided Rory to the fountain and they sat on its edge. Rory sighed in relief. He was still aware of the thoughts of the Mullettes in the hall but they were muted now. They were a soft buzzing in the back of his mind, leaving him free to think his own thoughts.

"Feeling better?" Amy asked, putting her arm back around his waist and sliding closer to him.

"Yeah," he said. "I… I can tell what I'm thinking now."

"This is just too weird," she muttered. "I don't think I could handle it."

"It's very… disconcerting," Rory admitted, "but it's not like I have a choice." For a few minutes they were silent, then Amy shifted on the fountain's edge. She got to her feet and began to pace.

"I wish they'd hurry up and make their decision." Rory watched her, feeling his stomach twisting with nerves. He was impatient, but he was also worried. What if they didn't find the Doctor in the cave? What if the mad ones had him? Even if Noora could somehow track them and the other women agreed to continue the pursuit, he didn't know how they'd manage to approach them undetected. They wouldn't be able to sense Amy coming and he was sure the Mullette women would be able to shield their thoughts, but he couldn't. He'd give their approach away. He was also concerned about how he would handle being near the mad ones again; the dizziness and nausea had been almost overpowering last time.

After a few minutes of pacing, Amy flopped down beside him. She crossed one leg over the other, her dangling foot jiggling with impatience. Rory took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to get a sense of what was happening in the meeting hall. There were a jumble of thoughts – someone, Toola he thought, was angry, others were worried, but the clearest impression came from Noora. She was nothing short of triumphant and he knew she'd won her argument. He wondered how much of her satisfaction came from knowing she'd be able to help the Doctor and how much came from defeating Toola.

"They're going to help us," he said, opening his eyes. Amy sighed in relief, letting her shoulders sag. A moment later Noora emerged from the hall and Amy sprang up to go meet her, firing off questions.

"How long will it take them to get ready? How many are coming? Will it take long to reach the caves?"

"We will start for the caves," Noora said, "but getting there might not be easy. It depends on where the mad ones are." Rory nodded, feeling his apprehension increasing. Would his presence put everyone in the party in danger?

"I can help you with the nausea and dizziness," Noora told him, taking a seat beside him. "If there are enough volunteers we'll be able to split into teams. One party can distract the mad ones while the others go in to retrieve your friend."

"How long will it take them to get volunteers?" Amy asked, coming to stand before them. "We need to hurry. The Doctor…"

"It won't be long," Noora replied calmly. "I've already put out the call."

"How… oh. Right." Amy shook her head.

"There are advantages to telepathy as a form of communication." Noora smiled and nodded toward one side of the square. Rory turned to see a small group of women entering. He waited for the wave of emotions which usually preceded a Mullette's approach but to his surprise, none came. Noora arched a brow at him.

"What do you feel?" she asked.

"I… I don't," he answered. "You're doing this? How?"

"It's hard to explain how," she said. She was smiling but there were lines of tension around her eyes. A second later something about her shifted, the tension lifting, and Rory became aware of the other women's thoughts.

"How long can you keep it up?" he asked.

"Long enough. It's easier if there's just one person to shield." Noora gave his knee a pat as she got to her feet. "Come on – the sooner we get our volunteers organized, the sooner we can go find your friend."


	10. Chapter 10

It didn't take long for the volunteers to appear. A half-dozen women agreed to form a rescue party. Rory was surprised to find Roona was amongst them. As the rescuers gathered in the square other women brought supplies. In no time at all everyone in the party, including Amy and Rory, had a canvas bag with a shoulder strap filled with supplies. Amy and Rory found their bags held water-skins (which they filled at the fountain), dried fruit, something which looked like beef-jerky, and crackers. Rory's bag also held strips of cloth for bandages and a small clay pot of some kind of ointment. It was green and smelled minty. He wanted to ask what was in it but Noora was busy with the other women. He pulled the shoulder strap over his head and settled the bag against one hip, hoping the medicine wouldn't be needed.

Food and bandages weren't the only supplies brought to the square. Toola and the other members of the council went into a building beside the meeting hall and returned with weapons for the searchers. Four of the women chose long spears, one took a bow and quiver of arrows, while Noora claimed a staff. Roona waved away an offer of a spear, her hand dropping to the knife on her belt, but Toola was insistent she take something. She finally chose a staff. Rory considered asking for a weapon for himself but decided against it. He didn't know how to throw a spear, fire a bow and arrow or wield a staff, and the thought of using a knife on anyone made him queasy. He could also feel wariness from the women in the party; they wouldn't want to arm him. He wondered how many of them had watched husbands, brothers, or sons turn violent as the madness claimed them.

Once everyone was supplied and armed, the party made their way out of the village and into the jungle, heading for the caves. Rory tried not to think about what they might find there. It had been almost a day since he and Amy had left the Doctor behind. What had happened after the villagers took them away? If the Doctor had escaped, surely he would have gone to the TARDIS. It didn't seem possible for him not to have found Amy and Rory by now. He would have had not only his telepathic abilities, which Noora seemed to think were considerable, but the ship's scanner to aid in his search. Rory was forced to conclude the Doctor hadn't made it to the TARDIS. He didn't like thinking about what that might mean. Had the Time Lord been hurt in the cave-in? Had the mad ones found him?

The path through the jungle was narrow and the party spread along it. The woman with the bow went first, moving out ahead of the group to scout. Noora went with her, presumably using her telepathy to help search for anyone approaching. Two of the spear-carriers came next, staying a few feet back from the scouts. Amy and Rory were behind them, with Roona following a few steps back. The other two spear-carrying women formed a rear guard. All of the women were a blank to Rory; he wasn't sure if this was because they were hiding their thoughts or because Noora had put her telepathic shield around him. Either way he found himself missing the buzzing of others' thoughts in his head. It would have made a welcome distraction from his worries over the Doctor.

Rory found himself growing increasingly jumpy as they moved along. He was very aware of every sound in the jungle. The rustling of tree-leaves made him nervous until he realized there was a breeze, bird calls made him jump, and the chirping of some cricket-like bug set his teeth on edge. The Mullette women seemed to glide along the path, making no sounds. He, on the other hand, kept finding tree roots to trip over and dry twigs to step on. Even with Noora's telepathic shield he wasn't going to be able to sneak up on anyone. He ducked his head, his face burning, and tried to concentrate on the path ahead of him. He was so focused on the trail he didn't notice the party had stopped until he nearly walked into one of the spear-carriers. Amy caught him as he stumbled, keeping him from falling into the woman in front of him. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on and closed it again as he realized the jungle had gone nearly silent. The wind was still rustling the trees but the birds had stopped calling and the annoying insect was no longer chirping. When he turned he could see Noora a few paces ahead of the spear-carriers. She was perfectly still, her head titled back slightly. The other women were equally immobile, their faces masks of concentration. Rory knew they weren't listening for sounds but trying to sense thoughts. Noora still had her shield around him and he wondered how long she could keep it up while also searching.

After what seemed like a long time, Noora moved. She turned and started back to the group, the bow-carrying woman behind her, and motioned for everyone to gather around. Once they were all clustered in a tight circle, she nodded and took a deep breath.

"There are mad ones nearby," she said, keeping her voice low. Rory felt the Mullette women stiffen but none of them budged from the circle. "Loora is going to move closer and try to spot them. The rest of us will stay here until she returns." The women exchanged glances, nodding in agreement, and the bow-carrying woman slipped away. The cluster moved apart slightly, leaving Rory, Amy, and Noora together. Rory longed to ask questions – how close were they, was the Doctor with them, were they safe waiting here - but he was afraid to make a sound.

The wait for Loora felt interminable though Rory's watch showed it had only been about 6 minutes. She came straight to Noora and the two women touched foreheads. After a moment Loora drew back and Noora nodded, turning toward Rory.

"Your friend is with the mad ones," she whispered, her voice so quiet he could barely make out what she was saying. "He's hurt – Loora couldn't tell how badly – but he is alive." Rory nodded, his heart pounding. He felt a strange mixture of relief and terror. The Doctor was alive and they knew where he was, but how were they going to get him away from the mad ones? He'd seen hostage rescues in films and on television but he had no idea how it would work in real life. They couldn't exactly have a negotiator call the mad ones and promise them a helicopter, though the woman with the bow and arrows might be able to serve as a sniper… Amy nudged his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts. He realized with a start that Noora was gone. He turned, feeling his heart-rate increasing as he started to panic. He spied Noora a second later, standing in a cluster of the other Mullette women. They were taking turns touching their foreheads to hers. Amy nudged him again and he turned back to find her frowning at him.

"What's going on?" she hissed.

"I… I don't know," he whispered back.

"What did Noora tell you?"

"The mad ones have the Doctor."

"Is… is he ok?" Amy's voice was shaking and she was struggling to keep it at a whisper.

"He's hurt," Rory admitted, "but he's alive."

"We have to go get him."

"I know but…"

"But what?" demanded Amy, her voice rising. Rory motioned for her to keep it down as he whispered his reply.

"We… we don't know what we're doing. We could wind up getting the Doctor killed."

"We can't just leave him!"

"Again," Rory muttered. Amy's eyes widened.

"I didn't mean it like that," she whispered. "We didn't have a choice before. This time…"

"This time we have to get it right."

"So what do we do?"

"Noora was determined to form a rescue party. She's not going to abandon the Doctor now," Rory replied, looking back to the circle of women. They continued to gently touch their foreheads to one another and he realized they must be communicating somehow. Maybe by touching heads they were able to share thoughts without anyone else being able to pick them up. He wished he knew more about how telepathy worked but it hadn't been one of the subjects he'd read up on after Prisoner Zero.

It was another five minutes before Noora moved away from the cluster of women. Rory watched her walk toward him, not liking the worried expression on her face. He liked it even less when she told them the plan the other women proposed. They would stage a distraction, pulling the mad ones away from their camp so that Amy, Rory, and Noora could get the Doctor out. Unfortunately, they weren't willing to do so until after dark. Amy pleaded and argued, struggling to keep her voice down. Rory racked his brain, trying to think of something he could say that might convince them, but nothing came to mind. It was obvious Noora commanded their respect and she hadn't been able to persuade them. What hope did he and Amy have of swaying them? When Amy's voice rose above a whisper he caught hold of her hand.

"We've got no choice," he told her, trying not to flinch when she pulled away. "We can't do this without them. We'll have to wait."

"We can get closer, if we're quiet," Noora said, "keep an eye on him." Rory glanced at Amy. She was biting her lower lip, her arms wrapped around herself.

"Ok," he said. Maybe seeing the Doctor would weaken their resolve. At least he might be able to get a look at the Doctor's injuries. He looked at Amy and she nodded.

"Ok," she whispered.

The mad ones encampment wasn't far from their trail, in a small clearing in the jungle. Noora and the Loora led them to it. The other women stayed behind. They would come at dusk to get into position for the distraction. Once they were near the camp, Loora scampered up a tree, finding a perch before readying her bow. Amy and Rory made their way up another tree, finding places where they could balance. Noora remained on the ground, squatting near the trunk of their tree.

Rory scanned the camp, trying to catch a glimpse of the Doctor's tweed coat. He spotted it but to his surprise, it wasn't the Time Lord wearing it but one of the Mullettes. It took another minute for him to spot the Doctor. He was on the edge of the clearing, sitting with his back against a tree-trunk. His hands were tied in front of him and the rope lead away to a wooden stake driven into the ground. His head was down so Rory couldn't see his face, but he could make out what looked like blood-stains on one sleeve of his shirt. The Mullette wearing his jacket moved to stand in front of him, blocking Rory's view.

It took two hours for darkness to begin to fall and Rory thought they were the longest two hours of his life. The mad ones milled around their camp, getting into fights from time to time. To Rory's relief, none of them went near the Doctor. The Mullette wearing the tweed jacket was clearly their leader. He strutted about, slapping the others on the back of the head as he passed them and occasionally breaking up the fights. He did go near the Doctor but it wasn't until his third circuit of the camp that he stopped. He crouched down in front of the slumped Time Lord and reached out to slap his face. Amy sucked in a sharp breath and Rory felt his hands clench tight on the tree branch. The Mullette man gave the Doctor a couple more slaps before standing upright again and continuing his route. Rory watched him, feeling anger surging through him. The Mullette had not only taken the Doctor's coat but his bow-tie as well. It was draped, untied, around his neck and he slipped it off every so often, running the dark blue silk through his fingers. Each time he did, Rory's temper flared. He found himself imagining how satisfying it would be to hit that Mullette, to knock him down and take back the Doctor's things. By the time the light started fading, his tightly-clenching hands had worn away some of the bark on his tree branch.

A soft whistle made Rory look away from the camp. He could just make out Noora's face, peering up at him. She motioned for him to come down. Dusk had fallen and it was time to go get the Doctor.


	11. Chapter 11

It was only a few feet from the base of the tree Rory and Amy had been perched in to the edge of the clearing where the mad ones had their camp. Rory waited there, crouched behind a shrub. Amy was beside him, one hand on his arm. Noora was a few feet away, pressed up against a tree, while Loora remained in her perch, presumably covering the clearing with her bow. The Doctor was almost directly across from them, still slumped against a tree-trunk. Rory wanted to keep an eye on him but his gaze kept drifting to the mad ones' leader. He found himself almost hoping the Mullette wouldn't leave with the others when the diversion started. He wanted to hit him, give him a taste of the abuse he'd been dishing out to everyone around him, knock him down and take back the Doctor's jacket and tie. His fists clenched in anticipation.

There was a soft whistle from one side of the clearing. It was the signal to indicate the diversion was starting. A moment later the mad ones began to lift their heads, reminding Rory of dogs catching a scent. Those on the ground got to their feet and all of them stared toward the place where the whistle had come from them. Almost as one they started to move in that direction. They pushed and shoved as they crossed the clearing and stepped into the jungle. Rory didn't wait for all of them to be gone. He got to his feet and started into the clearing, keeping his eyes on the mad ones' leader. He could hear Amy saying something as she moved past him, heading for the Doctor, but he didn't turn to join her. It wasn't until the tweed-clad Mullette vanished amongst the trees that he became aware of what was going on behind him.

"Rory!" Amy's cry was a mixture of impatience and fear. Rory turned to see her struggling with a rope wrapped around a wooden stake in the ground. The rope led back to the Doctor's wrists. "The stake won't budge and I can't get these knots loose!" The note of desperation in her voice was enough to drive thoughts of violence from Rory's mind and he moved to help her.

When it became apparent even their combined efforts weren't going to be enough to budge the stake, Rory and Amy moved to the rope around the Doctor's wrists. The knots were impossibly tight and Rory wished he had insisted on taking a knife in the village; each time they worked at it, the rope scraped the Doctor's already-raw wrists. The Doctor remained unconscious throughout their struggles, his head slumped on one shoulder. They could see dried blood on one side of his face. It seemed to start near his temple but the source was hidden beneath his hair. Rory wanted to investigate but there wasn't time now. Noora was waiting near the Doctor's feet, watching the jungle and looking anxious.

Rory had just started to despair of ever getting the Doctor freed when there was a whistling sound in the air. He yelped as an arrow hit the ground a few feet from him. Amy got to her feet, frowning around the clearing as she tried to spot what Loora was shooting at.

"It's for you," Noora told them, sounding impatient. "You can use it to cut the ropes. Now, hurry. The others can't keep the mad ones diverted for much longer. We need to get away from here." Rory nodded and reached out to tug the arrow free from the ground. The head was a little battered but the edges were still sharp. He was able to use it to cut through the ropes around the Doctor's wrists.

"Doctor?" Amy crouched down beside the Time Lord, shaking his shoulder gently. "Doctor, come on. Please."

"We have to hurry," Noora said. "Can't you carry him?"

"I'll try," Rory replied, feeling doubtful. He scooted closer to the Doctor, pulling him up onto his shoulder. He took a deep breath, made sure his feet were solidly planted on the ground, and rose. He was relieved to find the Doctor weighed less than he'd expected; he just hoped he wasn't aggravating any injuries. Noora waited until she saw he was steady before turning and leading them back toward the place where they'd entered the clearing. Rory moved after her, swaying a bit, and Amy stepped up beside him.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I think so," he answered, hunching forward a little more in an effort to keep the Doctor balanced on his shoulder. They passed the trees where they'd hidden and there was a soft thud as Loora dropped down behind them.

Rory didn't try to keep track of all the twists and turns Noora made as she led them through the jungle though he was fairly certain they weren't headed back toward the village. The moon had risen and the trees cast deep shadows along their path. Rory stumbled more than once and would have fallen if not for Amy. She stayed close to him, even when the trail narrowed, reaching out to push low-hanging branches out of their path and helping him duck under others without dropping the Doctor.

Eventually Noora led them into a small clearing. She and Amy helped a panting Rory get the Doctor settled onto the ground before she moved away to confer with Loora. Rory dropped to his knees beside the Time Lord, struggling to catch his breath. Amy crouched down across from him.

"What have they done to him?" she murmured, reaching out to move back the fringe of hair covering the Doctor's forehead. "Why hasn't he woken up?"

"I don't know," Rory said. The moonlight washed out the colors of things but he could see a knot on the Doctor's temple. It was half the size of a golf-ball and bisected by a jagged cut. There were tracks of dried blood going from the cut down the side of his face. Rory wasn't sure if there were any other wounds beneath them. "I need to clean this, and see how bad his arm is."

"We need more light. Do you think they'd let us start a fire?"

"We can ask," Rory replied, shrugging the strap of his bag over his head and reaching inside for one of the water skins. He was about to open it when Noora stopped him.

"You don't want to use that," she said. "There's a stream on the other side of the clearing, just behind the rocks."

"What's wrong with the water in the skins?" Amy asked. "Isn't it safe?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Noora assured her. "It's just that it's warm, and the water in the stream isn't. It's from an underground spring. I thought the cold would be better – to help take down the swelling."

"That's a good idea," Rory agreed.

"I have a bowl we can fill, and if you bring your bandages we can wet a few of them."

"Ok." Rory got to his feet to follow Noora. Amy hissed after him.

"Ask her about a fire."

The stream was just across the clearing. The water was sparkling in the moonlight and Rory scooped up a handful of it to drink. It was icy cold with just a hint of fruitiness. Noora pulled a bowl woven from reeds out of her bag and dunked it in the stream.

"The reeds will expand as they're soaked and then the bowl will hold water," she explained. Rory nodded, watching in fascination as she moved the bowl through the water. "Amy said something about a fire."

"We need more light so we can examine the Doctor," he replied.

"We can't risk it. The mad ones would be able to spot us too easily," Noora told him. "I'm sorry."

"You don't understand," Rory protested. "I need to figure out why he isn't waking up. If he has other injuries…" Noora shook her head, looking thoughtful.

"The stronger telepaths amongst us can retreat into our minds so far as to become almost unreachable," she said. "We become completely unaware of our surroundings."

"You think that's what the Doctor has done? Why?"

"The mad ones' leader wasn't striking him just for fun. He was trying to rouse him. He wants something from him." Rory felt his temper flare at the memory of the mad one slapping the Doctor.

"What could the Doctor have that he'd want?" he asked, dunking a bandage into the stream with a little more force than necessary.

"I don't know," Noora admitted. "I didn't dare touch his mind for long, but the leader clearly wanted something from him. Maybe it's his knowledge, or his abilities." Rory frowned at the suggestion. There was something wrong with what she was telling him, something that didn't fit, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"I still need more light," he said at last.

"It's too dangerous…"

"We'll have to risk it. Maybe he has… retreated, but maybe not. Either way, I need to see his injuries."

"Very well. We'll make a torch for you to use, but you'll have to hurry."

"Fine," Rory snapped, getting to his feet and returning to the Doctor. Noora followed him, setting the reed bowl full of water down beside him.

"I'll see to your torch," she murmured. Amy stared after her for a moment before turning to Rory. She peppered him with questions as he used the damp bandages to wipe away the dried blood on the Doctor's face. He explained about Noora's concern over a fire as well as her theory that the Doctor had shut down because the mad ones wanted something from him.

"So… there's a method to their madness?" she asked.

"Maybe," Rory replied. The idea still bothered him but before he could pursue it any further, Loora approached them with a flaming torch.

The light revealed no other injuries to the Doctor's head but Rory still ran his fingers around the Time Lord's skull to check for bumps. Finding none he moved his hands down the Doctor's arms, along his torso and down his legs, finding no signs of broken bones. He pushed up the Doctor's bloody sleeve to reveal a long, ragged cut in his forearm along with several bruises. The torch began to sputter at that point so Rory stopped looking for more bruises. He turned his attentions to cleaning and bandaging the cuts. There was a layer of grit mingled with the dried blood and when Loora moved the dying torch away he was surprised to find the dirt glowed faintly.

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"It must be from the caves. All the dust in there was glowing, remember?"

"Why would they put that on him?"

"I don't think they did," Rory said, sitting back on his heels to study the Doctor's still form. "I think he got these cuts and bruises in the cave-in."

"Any change?" Noora asked, crouching down beside him.

"None," he answered.

"Can't you… think at him?" Amy asked. "Let him know he's safe now?"

"It would be better coming from the two of you."

"How is it going to come from us? I'm not telepathic and Rory doesn't know what he's doing." Rory looked up, feeling stung. Amy was right – he didn't know what he was doing – but that didn't make her words hurt less.

"It's very difficult to close down all your senses," Noora explained. "Touch, for instance, is very hard to block out."

"So that's it? We just… touch him?" Rory resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was Noora suggesting they could just… hug the Doctor back to consciousness?

"You can send thoughts with a touch, if you concentrate."

"Is that what you were doing with the others after Loora found the mad ones' camp?" Amy asked.

"It was… similar."

"So, what do I do? Can I even do this?"

"Just put your hand on his cheek and think about what you want to tell him," Noora said, giving Amy a reassuring smile. Amy nodded and reached out to cup the Doctor's jaw.

"Please," she whispered, "wake up. We need you." Her thumb stroked the Doctor's cheek as she spoke and Rory fought the urge to pull her hand away, to yell at her and tell her they didn't _need_ the Doctor. Instead he turned away, grabbing up the reed bowl before getting to his feet. He muttered something about getting more water and stumbled toward the stream, trying to suppress the rage boiling up inside him.


	12. Chapter 12

Rory dropped to his knees beside the stream, his hands clenching the reed bowl into a ball in his lap. His heart was thudding in his chest and he took several deep breaths, trying to get himself under control. He kept flashing back to the way Amy's hand had cupped the Doctor's cheek.

"This is stupid," he said softly. "She chose you. You know that." He stopped, taking another shaky breath. "Get a grip," he muttered at himself. He forced his hands to relax and the bowl sprung back into shape. He took hold of the rim and leaned forward to dunk it in the cold water, continuing to talk to himself. "He's not just her friend, not now. He's my friend too. And she's right; we need him to wake up so we can get out of here." He took another deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling his heart-rate returning to normal. The sudden flash of anger was fading.

"Rory?" Noora's approach had been so quiet and he'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her arrival. He jumped, feeling his heart racing again. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's… it's ok," he stammered. He could feel his face burning and he looked away, studying the bowl in the stream.

"Are you all right?" Noora asked, kneeling beside him.

"I'm… I'm fine," he said, not looking at her. Had she felt his flare of temper? Was she going to ask about it? He didn't know what to tell her; he couldn't explain what had happened to himself let alone to someone else. "I'm just getting some more water, in case he's thirsty when he wakes up."

"I can do that," she offered, reaching for the bowl. Rory reluctantly let her take it. "I'm sure you want to be with your friend."

"Is it working? Is he waking up?" he asked, finally daring to lift his head.

"Not yet. Amy's still trying."

"I… I should go help her." He shifted, getting his feet under him and standing.

Amy didn't look up at his approach. She had both of her hands cupping the Doctor's face as she spoke softly to him. Her voice was trembling and Rory winced. He couldn't stand seeing Amy cry. He dropped to his knees beside the Doctor and she fell silent for a moment.

"It's not working," she said at last, not taking her eyes off the Doctor's face.

"I'm sorry…"

"I can't do it." She lifted her head and he could see tears shining in her eyes. "I… I can't," she snuffled, "but you're telepathic, yeah? You'll be able to reach him, won't you?"

"I can try," he said. "It might not work for me either. I don't know what I'm doing…"

"You heard Noora. Put your hand on him and think about what you want him to know." Amy shifted, moving up onto her knees as she leaned toward Rory and caught his hands in hers, squeezing gently. "You can do this. I know you can." For a second he flashed back to the Doctor telling him the same thing in the caves. He'd failed then. What if he failed at this too? He looked at Amy's earnest face and sighed.

"Ok. I'll try." She let go of his hands and sat back, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. He reached toward the Doctor and froze.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"What do I tell him?"

"Tell him… tell him we're here, and we're ok, and he's going to be ok too," she suggested.

"Ok." Rory took a deep breath and reached out, resting his hands gently on either side of the Doctor's face. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to block out any other thoughts. "Doctor, it's me. Amy's here too. We're both ok. We got out of the caves all right and we met some people and they helped us get you away from… from the others. You're gonna be fine, Doctor. You just… you have to wake up, ok?" He opened his eyes to look at Amy. She was watching the Doctor intently. He looked down at the Time Lord, hoping to find some sign he'd reached him. The Doctor seemed unchanged and Rory fought back despair. Maybe Noora had been wrong. Maybe the Doctor was more seriously hurt than he'd thought. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see Amy's disappointment. A second later a wave of relief swept over him, so powerful it almost brought tears to his eyes. He opened his eyes to find the Doctor blinking up at him.

"Rory," he croaked, his voice raspy. He shifted his gaze and sighed. "Amy." His eyes slipped shut and he sighed again.

"Doctor!" Amy leaned forward, her hands hovering over Rory's, which were still resting on the Doctor's face.

"Doctor, stay with us," Rory urged.

"'m awake," the Doctor replied. He opened his eyes, coughing and wincing.

"How are you feeling?" Rory asked.

"Like a cave fell in on me," he said hoarsely.

Amy snorted. "And whose fault was that?"

"It wasn't intentional, Pond." The Doctor winced again.

"Amy, Noora was getting water. Will you see if she has it yet?" Rory asked.

"I'm here." Noora's voice came from behind Rory. She stepped up beside him, and carefully lowered the bowl of water to the ground. The Doctor shifted on the ground, wincing once more, as he stared up at her.

"Hello?"

"Hello," she replied, dropping to her knees next to Rory. "I'm Noora, and I'm very glad to see you awake, Doctor." The Time Lord shifted again and swallowed. Rory slipped an arm under his shoulders to help him sit up a little. Noora passed the bowl to Amy and she held it so the Doctor could drink. He took a few swallows and his eyes slipped shut as he sighed. Rory eased him back down.

"Doctor?" Amy put aside the bowl and leaned forward, her face anxious. "Doctor!"

"I think he's asleep," Rory told her. A second later the Doctor emitted a soft snore, confirming his suspicion.

"Is it safe?" Amy asked. "I mean, he did just hit his head and put himself into some sort of… coma. Shouldn't we wake him?"

"Let him rest while he can," Noora said, getting stiffly to her feet. "We may have to move in the night."

"You think the mad ones might find us?" Rory asked.

"I can't keep the shielding up much longer."

"Are you all right?" He frowned as he noticed the lines of strain in the older woman's face for the first time.

"I'm fine, Rory. I just need to rest," she replied, patting his shoulder. "I'm not as young as I once was."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," she said, smiling at him. "You're doing quite well for a novice telepath." She gave his shoulder one more pat before turning away. Loora was across the clearing and Noora moved to sit with her. Rory watched them. After a moment Noora's shielding faded and he began to catch bits of their telepathic conversation. Loora was anxious for the others to rejoin them and Noora was trying to reassure her.

"Everything ok over there?" Amy asked, and Rory turned back to her.

"Yeah. They're just waiting for the others to arrive," he said. "Noora doesn't think it will be much longer." Amy nodded, her gaze shifting back to the Doctor.

"Are you sure it's safe for him to sleep right now?" she asked, reaching out to smooth back the Doctor's fringe. Rory pushed down the urge to catch her hand.

"You heard Noora," he answered. "We should get some rest too."

"I wish we had a blanket or something," Amy said.

"At least it's still warm," Rory replied.

"Yeah." Amy smoothed the Doctor's hair one more time before looking up at Rory. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"Reaching him, helping him."

"Well… he is my friend too."

"Yeah, he is." Amy smiled, leaning across the Doctor to kiss Rory on the cheek. "I'll be right back." She got to her feet and moved away, disappearing behind a tree. Rory looked down at the Doctor, frowning as the Time Lord snored.

"You're snoring. Last of the Time Lords and you snore. That is rubbish." He smirked and reached out to adjust the bandage on the Doctor's forehead.

Rory wound up on the ground between Amy and the Doctor. She curled up against his left side, using his shoulder for a pillow, and dropped off almost at once. The Doctor was on his right, still snoring softly. Rory remained awake, staring up at the stars. He was aware of the return of the other members of the rescue party, feeling their relief at being reunited. Their thoughts were like whispers; he knew they were there but he couldn't quite make out what they were thinking. There was no sense of alarm coming from them so Rory didn't try to focus on their thoughts.

One by one the women settled down to sleep, leaving two of the party to keep watch. The ground was hard but the warm air was comfortable and the night was peaceful. Rory was drowsy but he still couldn't sleep. He stared up at the sky, looking for patterns in the stars. He wondered if the Mullettes had identified constellations and if so, what they called them. For a second he was filled with a sense of awe. He was on an alien world, studying the night sky. Could he see any of these stars from home, or were they all new to him? He wished he could ask the Doctor. He glanced over at the Time Lord and nearly yelped; the Doctor had shifted and turned his head. His face was only a few inches from Rory's shoulder.

Rory turned his gaze back to the sky, feeling his heart thudding. As his heart-rate slowed he started to think about his position. Here he was, on a fantastic alien world, wedged between Amy and the Doctor. _Is this how it's going to be now?_ he wondered. _Me sitting between them, keeping them apart?_ He glanced at the Doctor again and sighed. He'd seen one of the Time Lord's nightmares. There'd been a young man there, Mickey, who'd railed at the Doctor for taking his girlfriend away. Was that why he'd come back for Rory? Why he'd pushed for Amy to choose between the two of them? What would he have done if she'd chosen him instead of Rory? What choice had he hoped she'd make?


	13. 13

Rory came awake suddenly. He didn't even remember falling asleep; the last thing he remembered was studying the stars and thinking about how he was wedged between Amy and the Doctor. The stars were fading from view now as the sun lightened the sky. For a minute he lay still, feeling unsettled. He knew he'd been dreaming but he couldn't remember what about. It hadn't quite been a nightmare but he still wondered how he hadn't disturbed Amy. Her head was no longer pillowed on his shoulder and he turned to look for her, expecting to find her curled up on her side. Instead he found only bare ground. His heart started to thud and he turned to his right. His stomach twisted as he confirmed that the Doctor was gone as well. He was about to sit up and call out in alarm when he heard voices to his left.

"Just sit down, ok?" Amy sounded worried and exasperated. Rory turned his head, straining to see in the dim light. He spotted the figures of Amy and the Doctor a few feet away, returning to the clearing from the jungle. The Time Lord was moving slowly, his steps unsteady, and Amy was close beside him.

"I'm fine, Amy," he told her.

"Right. That's why you almost face-planted back at the edge of the clearing." Rory didn't need to be able to make out Amy's face to know she was arching a brow in her most scornful manner.

"I told you – I tripped over a tree root."

"Doctor, there was no tree root," she replied, her exasperation increasing. The Time Lord swayed and she caught his arm. "Doctor!"

"I think I'll sit now," he said, sinking toward the ground. Amy moved with him, steadying him as he slumped into a seated position. She sat down beside him, her shoulder just brushing his.

"You should go back to sleep," she chided.

"I'm not tired," the Doctor replied, smothering a yawn, "and I need to think."

"You need to rest…"

"There's something not right here."

"I know. I told you. All the blue men are going mad."

"But why? What's causing it? What am I not seeing?" The Doctor smacked the heel of his hand into his forehead. Amy yelped and reached out to catch his hand before he could repeat the action.

"Are you trying to give yourself brain damage?" she demanded. "You had a cave fall in on you and put yourself into some kind of… coma-thing. No head smacks."

"Coma-thing?" The Doctor sounded amused.

"Oh… shut up. Go back to sleep. You can figure out what's wrong in the morning."

"It's nearly dawn now," the Doctor answered, but he didn't pull his hand away from her. Rory stared, his vision seeming to narrow until all he saw was Amy's hand folded around the Doctor's. Her painted nails were dark against her fair skin, looking almost black in the pale morning light. His heart was thudding and he could feel the drumming of his pulse in his ears. He turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut. His face felt hot and his stomach was roiling as the drumming in his ears increased. The image of Amy's thumb, lightly stroking the Doctor's cheek, flashed across his mind and he felt his hands clenching into fists.

The next thing Rory knew, he was on his feet, striding toward Amy and the Doctor. They both looked up, startled by his approach, and their hands sprang apart.

"Sorry, Rory," the Doctor said quietly. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm sure you didn't," Rory snarled. His fists were clenched and the urge to lash out with them was getting stronger by the second.

"Rory…" Amy began.

"Oh, don't… _Rory_ me," he growled, cutting her off. She stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise.

"What's troubling you, Rory?" the Doctor asked mildly. Rory glared at him for a second before turning his scowl back to Amy.

"Is this how it's going to be now? You snuggle with me for a few hours before you sneak off with him?"

"I didn't sneak off with anyone," Amy snapped, getting to her feet. Her glare faded as she met his gaze, turning into a worried frown. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know, Amy. You tell me."

"Wha… what?"

"You're the one who ran off with someone else the night before our wedding."

"It wasn't like that!" she protested.

"Then just what was it like, Amy?" Rory took a half-step toward her and out of nowhere the Doctor appeared, slipping in between them. Rory stopped, startled. He'd been so focused on Amy that he hadn't noticed the Doctor getting to his feet. He felt his temper increasing. "Don't you ever get tired of playing the hero, Doctor? Jumping in to save the day? Why don't you sit this one out?" He reached out and grabbed the Doctor's shoulders, shoving him toward the ground. The Doctor stumbled backward, trying to keep his balance, and Amy stepped up to catch him. Rory's hands clenched in to fists and he moved toward them. The Doctor got his feet back under him, regaining his balance and planting himself in front of Amy.

"You want to hit someone right now, don't you?" he asked, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. Rory froze, feeling a chill run through him. He could see Amy just behind the Doctor, her eyes wide and frightened. The Mullette women were watching him from across the clearing, radiating fear and revulsion. The only person who didn't seem frightened was the Doctor. He was watching Rory, his eyes full of concern. He took a step forward, holding out a hand.

"It's ok, Rory," he said quietly, putting his hand on Rory's shoulder. "It's ok." Rory jerked back, feeling sick and ashamed. Sweat was trickling down his back and he could taste bile in the back of his throat. He'd been out of control, ready to hit someone. _I'm turning in to one of the mad ones_ he thought, taking another stumbling step backwards. His heart was hammering again, though this time he couldn't hear his pulse in his ears. The Doctor was speaking but he couldn't focus on the words. _I was going to hit him_ , he thought, feeling his nausea increase. Noora's voice joined with the Doctor's and he remembered what she had said about the madness, how there were no warning signs. A man would go from happy and peaceable to angry and violent in minutes. _What happens if I do this again? What if the Doctor can't stop me the next time?_ The men remaining in the village had been removed from their homes. Rory understood their willingness to go to the stockade now. How could they stay in their homes when at any minute they might lash out at their loved ones? There was no stockade for Rory to go to, no way to keep him away from Amy and the Doctor.

"Rory?" Amy's voice sounded close by and Rory realized he had his eyes squeezed shut. He opened them to see her standing about a foot away, her face creased in a worried frown.

"I'm sorry," he told her, taking a step back. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," she said, moving with him. "It's going to be ok. The Doctor…"

"The Doctor can't fix this!" Rory shouted, feeling his temper flaring. "You… you don't understand…" He could feel the drumming in his ears again and took another step back as his face grew warm. Amy was saying something else and the Doctor was speaking too but he didn't try to listen to them. The drumming was getting louder and he knew he had to go while he was still capable of making that decision. He turned away from Amy, scanning the clearing. There was an opening in the jungle growth not far from the Mullette women and he ran toward it. He felt the fear of the Mullettes as he drew near them and their relief as he went past. He could hear Amy and the Doctor shouting after him but he didn't look back and he didn't slow down.

Rory ran as fast as he could, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the others as he could. He pushed past branches and through tall grasses, stumbling as vines caught at his feet and stubbing his toes on more than one half-buried stone. The drumming in his ears grew louder, making it harder and harder to remember what he was doing. _Keep going_ , he told himself. _Just keep going._ His steps slowed as he tired but he kept moving. His face and arms stung with welts and scrapes from the branches, grasses, and vines. His shirt was sticking to him and his throat burned with thirst but he didn't stop.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been moving when he realized the drumming in his ears had ceased. He took a few more stumbling steps, propelled more by inertia than a desire to keep going, before coming to a stop. He staggered into a tree and leaned there, looking around. All he could see in any direction was more jungle. He had no idea how far he'd run or what direction he'd taken. He looked up at the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of the sun. There was a thick cloud-bank overhead and a steady breeze promised rain. The sun was completely obscured and Rory sighed, sagging against the tree. Finding the sun wouldn't have helped him anyway; he didn't know if the sun rose in the east on this planet or not. He laughed bitterly, sinking down so he was sitting with his back to the tree. His throat felt raw now and he wished he'd grabbed a water-skin. He tipped his head back against the tree trunk, hoping the rain would start soon, and closed his eyes.


	14. 14

Rory didn't have to wait long for the rain to start. He'd no sooner closed his eyes than the first drops began to fall. The tree he was under didn't provide much shelter but he didn't mind; the rain was warm and gentle. He tipped his head forward, letting the drops run down his neck and back. The water coursed down his arms, washing away the sweat and grime from his dash through the jungle. After a moment he leaned his head back to catch some in his mouth, letting the water pool before swallowing. The burning in his throat eased and he repeated the process several more times.

He realized as he swallowed for the third time that the rain water tasted different. The water from the sacred fountain had tasted fruity. The Doctor had said that something in the water triggered Rory's telepathy. He'd thought the effect temporary and yet, two nights and a day later, Rory was still telepathic. The fruity flavor hadn't been as strong in the water from the village fountain or the underground stream but it had still been there. Was that why he was still telepathic? But, if that was the case, why wasn't Amy telepathic too? For a moment he wished he could ask the Doctor, then he shook his head at himself. He'd run to keep Amy and the Doctor safe; he couldn't put them at risk just to satisfy his curiosity.

Thinking of Amy and the Doctor made Rory sit up a little straighter. He'd run without any thought but getting away. Now that he was here, what did he do next? If he stayed where he was they were bound to find him. He could see a trail of broken branches and mashed plants leading away from his tree. He could keep moving, taking more care to hide his traces, but where was he going to go? He could feel the rush of adrenalin that had spurred him on fading, leaving him with leaden limbs. He felt hopeless and exhausted. _I can stop for just a minute_ , he told himself. _Just a minute._ He tipped his head back against the tree, closing his eyes against the rain drops.

 _Amy and the Doctor are a few yards ahead of him on the trail. They are laughing, bubbling with excitement. Amy looks back, motioning for Rory to catch them up. She beams at him, nudging the Doctor. The Time Lord glances over his shoulder, smiling broadly when he catches sight of Rory. They are both so eager but Rory doesn't share their enthusiasm. His feet seem to grow heavier the further they go and he can feel butterflies forming in his stomach. He knows something is wrong. Amy and the Doctor are oblivious to his fears. As his steps slow, they seem to move faster, almost skipping along the path._

" _Rory, come on!" Amy calls, turning to look ahead once more. Rory tries to call out a warning but his mouth won't move. He wants to hurry, to catch up to Amy and the Doctor so he can stop them, but his legs won't move faster. They are nearing an opening in the jungle and he can feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Whatever is in that clearing is evil._

 _Amy and the Doctor go on into the clearing. Rory's reaches the end of the trail and cannot move another step. He stands at the edge of the clearing, unable to go forward or step back, and stares out into the opening. There are a half-dozen gently-sloping mounds of ground. Amy and the Doctor are a few yards away, moving up the closest hillock toward a large boulder which rests at the top. Rory tries again to call out and this time his mouth works._

" _Amy! Doctor! Come back!" His friends look back at him, still smiling, and the Doctor waves for him to come forward._

" _Isn't it interesting?" he calls. "Come join us, Rory!" He doesn't wait for a reply, turning away and continuing toward the boulder. Rory's skin is crawling now and he feels sick. Amy and the Doctor get closer to the boulder and their steps slow. Amy glances back at Rory, her smile fading._

" _Ror…" she begins, but she doesn't finish. A cloud of black mist is emerging from the boulder, billowing toward Amy and the Doctor. The Time Lord turns, his eyes wide in alarm, and he pushes Amy toward the clearing's edge. He tries to follow her but the cloud reaches him. He opens his mouth to scream, but no sound comes. The cloud swirls around him. He stands in its midst for a second and then he dissolves, turning to ash or mist and merging into the shadowy mass. Amy shrieks and starts to run, but the cloud is around her, absorbing her just as it did the Doctor. Rory screams, helpless to do anything but watch as the cloud sweeps toward him._

Rory woke with a start, his heart hammering. He was slumped against the tree, his head tipped back against the trunk. The rain had stopped and his wet clothing clung to him. The sun was still hidden behind clouds and the steady breeze continued. He shivered, feeling chilled both by the damp air and the memory of his nightmare. He knew if he closed his eyes he'd see the Doctor dissolving again and Amy's scream seemed to echo in his ears.

"It was a dream," he whispered, drawing his knees up to his chest. "Just a bad dream." He kept repeating the words, trying to calm himself. He was just getting his breathing under control when he heard Amy's voice again. He jerked up, his heart hammering in his chest. He wasn't just hearing the echo of a dream, he was hearing Amy. The Doctor's voice joined hers and he realized they were coming closer. He sprang to his feet, scanning the jungle around him. He didn't know where to go and if he started crashing through the undergrowth they'd hear him. What he needed was a place to hide.

Most of the trees around Rory were impossible to climb but there was one a few feet away with a low-hanging branch he could reach. He ran to it, hauling himself up and beginning to climb. It wasn't easy. Water dripped from rain-sodden leaves and his feet slipped on the damp bark. He kept going, working his way up until he didn't think he could climb any further. He braced himself between a branch and the trunk and looked out at the jungle below. The leaves on the other trees obscured much of his view but he caught a glimpse of Amy's red hair. They weren't far from him now and he knew he needed to shield his thoughts. He closed his eyes in concentration, trying to imagine a force-field surrounding him.

When Rory opened his eyes, Amy and the Doctor were beneath him. They were wet from the rain and the Doctor was unsteady on his feet. Amy was close beside him, ready to reach out and catch him. Noora was a few steps ahead of them, moving toward the tree where Rory had sat. She crouched in front of it, putting a hand on the ground before turning back to them.

"The ground's still dry," she said. "He was here during the rain."

"Can't you sense him?" Amy asked. She sounded anxious and Rory felt a pang of guilt.

"I thought I did a few minutes ago," the Doctor replied, turning slowly to study the jungle. He swayed and Amy caught him.

"You need to sit down," she said.

"He's… disappeared," the Doctor murmured, ignoring her. He straightened up and continued his turn. Rory stared down, feeling relief course through him. He hadn't been sure his attempt to shield his thoughts was working. His feeling of relief increased when Noora confirmed it a second later.

"He's hidden his thoughts," she said.

"But he can't," Amy protested, her voice rising in pitch. "You tried to help him before and he couldn't do it."

"Apparently he can now," the Doctor answered, and there was a note of pride in his voice. "Good for you, Rory," he murmured. He swayed again and Amy caught him.

"It's not good and you are sitting down," she said firmly, steering him toward the tree Rory had sat under. The Doctor didn't protest as she helped him settle against its trunk. The bandage around his head was slipping over one eye and he pushed it back with a grimace. Rory could see red on the bandage covering his arm. His sense of relief vanished, replaced by fresh guilt. The Doctor should be resting in the TARDIS medical bay, not chasing him through the jungle.

"He can't have gone far," Noora said.

"How do you know that?" Amy asked.

"The ground is dry because he was sitting here during the rain, and the rain only stopped a short time ago," replied the Doctor, sounding tired. He started to tip his head back against the tree but stopped abruptly, turning to stare at the trail Rory had left. "There's something…" He fell slient as Loora and Roona came in to view. Roona walked up to Noora, gesturing toward the path she'd just taken. She was obviously agitated. Rory felt his heart start to thud.

"What's happening?" Amy asked, looking from one blue woman to the other.

"There are mad ones coming," Noora answered, and Rory felt his stomach twist. The Doctor looked up from his seat beneath the three, his face pale. He started to move, grimacing as he put weight on his injured arm, and Amy leaned over to help him. Rory turned away, staring out across the jungle. He saw a flash of blue and caught a glimpse of tweed moving toward the others. The mad ones were close. He could hear Noora below, saying something about running. Amy was protesting. Rory looked down at the branch he'd used to climb up. He didn't think the Mullettes could reach it, but maybe with his help they'd be able to get up into the tree. He started down, calling out as he went.

"Amy! Doctor! Over here!"

"Rory?"

"In the tree," he panted, continuing to move down. He reached the lowest branch to find the whole party staring up at him.

"What are you doing up there?" Amy asked.

"Come on," he said, ignoring her question, "we can hide up here." No one moved and he made an impatient noise. "The mad ones are close. You have to hurry." Noora studied him for a moment before nodding. She waved the other women forward with her. Amy and the Doctor came after them.

Getting the Mullettes up into the tree proved easier than getting the Doctor up. Once they were in the tree, the women proved nimble climbers. They moved up easily, leaving Rory and Amy to help the Doctor. They were half-way to the point Rory had watched from when the mad ones emerged from the trail. Everyone in the tree froze, hardly daring to breathe, as the blue men came to a stop.


	15. 15

Rory's heart thudded in his chest as he watched the mad ones below. He'd stopped in mid-climb, one foot braced in the joint between a branch and the trunk, the other up on a higher branch. The Doctor was above him and to his right, standing on a thick branch. He was clinging to the trunk, both arms wrapped around it and one cheek pressed into the bark. Amy was just above him, sitting on a wide branch with one arm braced against the trunk. She seemed stable but she was watching the Doctor with worried eyes. Rory shifted his gaze back to the Time Lord. The Doctor's face was white and he was trembling as he tried to hold on to the trunk. He'd been unsteady on the ground; now he only had a branch to stand on, and the trunk was too thick for his hands to meet on the other side of it. Rory looked back to the mad ones, feeling relieved to see them moving away from the tree. Unfortunately they didn't go far. He looked back up to the Doctor, frowning to see his trembling had increased. Rory took a deep breath and moved, hoping he could be quiet enough not to attract attention.

He came to a stop at the Doctor's branch. The Time Lord had opened his eyes to watch. He moved back as Rory stepped over to his branch, trying to make room without losing his balance. He looked like he might be sick and Rory wondered if he was afraid of heights. He stepped over quickly, reaching for a branch over-head to steady himself and letting the Doctor move back against the trunk. Once he was in place, Rory slipped forward, putting his arms on either side of the Doctor and resting his hands against the trunk. He was steady and he could, he hoped, keep the Doctor stable too. Amy sighed softly from her perch above them.

Rory looked back to the ground, relieved to find the mad ones still weren't paying attention to the tree. They seemed to be having trouble deciding what to do, milling from tree to tree. His eyes were drawn to the man wearing the Doctor's jacket. He couldn't tell if this was the same man he'd seen wearing it before. That man had strutted about, smacking the others. He'd clearly been in charge. This man hung back from the others, mostly ignoring them. He seemed lost in thought, oblivious to most of what was happening around him. Rory kept watching him, feeling his chest growing tight. _He's going to figure out where we are_ , he thought. He kept his eyes on the man in tweed, unable to shake the feeling that this man was the greatest danger to them. The other mad ones started to move away and Rory held his breath, not exhaling until the jacket-wearing Mullette followed them.

Rory didn't move for several minutes, wanting to be sure the mad ones were gone. He stared out into the jungle, watching as the last glimpses of blue and tweed disappeared from view. Even then he didn't move. It wasn't until Noora gave a low, soft whistle that he lifted his head. She was looking down at him from her perch up in the tree, one brow arched as if to ask _Now what?_ Rory looked away from her, noting the positions of the other Mullette women. They were nimble climbers but he was closer to the ground. This was his chance to run. He could get down the tree ahead of them all and out into the jungle. His gaze shifted to Amy, finding her watching him, her eyes pleading. He looked down, considering the climb, and realized the Doctor's trembling had increased. If he moved away, would the Time Lord be able to keep his balance? Would Amy be able to get him out of the tree safely on her own? Rory felt his heart sink. He'd run to keep Amy and the Doctor safe. He'd lured them in to the tree for the same reason. He couldn't run away without making sure they made it back to the ground. With a sigh, he looked back up to Noora.

"Can you get down around us?" he asked softly. She nodded, turning to motion to Loora and Roona. Rory looked to Amy. "What about you?"

"I don't know," she said, frowning down into the tree. "Maybe?"

"Don't try it if you aren't sure," Rory told her. She opened her mouth to protest and he shook his head. "We don't need another hurt person." For a second he thought she'd continue to argue but to his relief she closed her mouth. Rory looked away from her, watching the Mullette women working their way down. They slipped past his branch and down to the lowest one of the tree, dropping lightly to the ground. As they moved away, he turned his attention back to the Doctor.

"Ready?" he asked and after a second's pause, the Doctor nodded. The bandage on his temple was slipping down over his eye again and his jaw was clamped shut. Rory hoped he wasn't going to be sick.

Getting the Doctor down from the tree without either of them falling seemed impossible. The Time Lord was obviously dizzy and Rory struggled to keep his balance while keeping the Doctor from falling. He was grateful they hadn't climbed any higher. They finally made it to the lowest branch and Rory settled the Doctor against the trunk, intending to drop down first. He moved his hands away from the Time Lord, turning to look at the drop.

"I'll go down first," he said, "and catch you." The Doctor nodded, his jaw still clenched. Rory gave him a final look, assuring himself the Time Lord was stable, and dropped from the branch. He landed easily and looked back up to see the Doctor staring down at him, his face gray. He slipped from the branch awkwardly and Rory reached out to catch him. For a moment they wavered, off-balance, but Rory managed to keep them upright. The Doctor was breathing heavily, the bandage slipping further over his eye. Rory steered him to a nearby tree, settling him against the trunk. He turned to watch Amy land easily before he looked back to the Doctor.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, crouching down so he was at eye-level with the slumped Time Lord.

"Finding you," the Doctor answered.

"Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to be found?"

"Rory…"

"Don't you get it? I'm dangerous." He got to his feet, turning away to find Amy and the Mullette women had formed a loose circle around them. If he ran, he'd have to get past one of them. They'd move in to his path and he'd have to shove them out of the way. Someone could get hurt. He looked back to the Doctor, feeling his heart pounding. "You have to let me go. If I stay, I'll hurt you. I'll hurt Amy. I won't be able to stop it, not once the madness is on me."

"No, you won't," the Doctor said calmly.

"I will!" Rory protested. "I…

"You won't, Rory." The Doctor looked past him, waving at the others. "Move back, please. Give us some space." Rory looked over his shoulder to see the women moving back. Amy went last, her eyes wide as she watched them. A groan made him turn back in time to see the Doctor getting to his feet. He wobbled slightly and Rory stepped forward to steady him.

"I have to go," he said.

"You don't have to run, Rory. You're stronger than this madness. You won't let it consume you."

"You don't know that."

"Of course I do," replied the Doctor, smiling at him. Rory shook his head, feeling his temper flare even as his resolve weakened.

"You… you're doing it again," he said, taking a half-step back. "Trying to make it so I won't want to disappoint you, telling me what you know I want to hear…"

"Rory, when the madness began you held on to enough of yourself to run rather than lash out. You managed to shield your thoughts, a thing experienced telepaths often struggle with, in order to stay hidden. And when we were in danger, you got us to safety." Rory shook his head and the Doctor stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently. "You have far more strength than you realize, Rory Williams." He moved his hand up, cupping Rory's cheek for a second before drawing back. Rory stared at him, searching his face for any sign that he was lying and finding nothing. The Doctor was smiling, his eyes bright in his pale face. Rory felt his resolve crumbling and sighed.

"O…" he began, cut off by a scream of rage coming from his right. He turned to see the tweed-coated Mullette charging at the Doctor, his hands outstretched and face contorted in a fearsome scowl. Rory moved, pushing the Time Lord back and planting himself in the mad one's path. There was a whistling, whirring noise close to his ear and then an arrow plunged in to the oncoming man's chest. The sound it made was sickening, and the sudden silence as the man's scream was cut off was chilling. For a second the Mullette stood, his eyes wide in surprise, and then he dropped to his knees, his hands clutching at the shaft emerging from his chest. He made a gurgling sound. His hands grasped at the arrow and Rory darted forward.

"Don't," he cautioned, trying to send the thought along with the spoken word. He dropped to his knees, catching the blue man and easing him down to the ground. "Just… keep still," Rory said, wincing as he studied the wound. The Mullette began to cough and Rory could see blood leaking from his mouth. A shadow fell over them and he looked up to see the Doctor standing there, his face pleading. Rory shook his head and the Doctor lowered his head. When he looked up again, his eyes were blazing. He turned, glaring across at Loora.

"You didn't need to do that," he said angrily.

 _He was attacking_ , Loora responded. _I was trying to protect you._

"I didn't ask for your protection," the Doctor snapped. Rory started as a moist hand wrapped around his own. He looked down to find the Mullette man staring up at him. He could hear Noora's voice, saying something to the Doctor, but he kept his gaze on the man on the ground.

 _I… I was mad._ The man tightened his grip on Rory's hand. _I… I did things… hurt people…. I'm sorry._

"It's ok," Rory said, returning his grasp. "It's ok now. You… you're going to be ok."

 _I… I don't remember… all of it. I… I hit your friend. My family? Did I…_

"You… you weren't yourself."

 _Please tell them… I'm sorry._ The man held Rory's gaze for a second, his stare intense, and then his eyes slipped shut. Rory stared down at him, continuing to hold his now limp hand. He could feel tears pricking at his eyes even as his temper flared. There was a rustling noise and he looked up to see the Doctor crouching down beside the dead man.

"He's dead," Rory told him, struggling to keep his voice even.

"I'm sorry…"

"He was sane, at the end. He… he was afraid he'd hurt his family. I… I should have told him he hadn't but I just…"

"Rory…" The Doctor reached out to touch his shoulder and Rory jerked back. He carefully placed the dead Mullette's hand on his chest

"You know what's causing this madness, don't you?"

"I have an idea…"

"Then what are you doing here?" demanded Rory, getting to his feet. He could feel his fury growing and he wanted to put some distance between himself and the Doctor. "You could have stopped this but nooo – you came chasing after me instead!"

"I need your help."

"You… what?" The Doctor's words had been so calm and quiet that it took Rory's brain a second to register what he'd said. He stared at the Time Lord in surprise.

"I need your help, Rory," the Doctor repeated.


	16. 16

Rory turned away, the Doctor's words echoing in his ears. _I need your help_. He wanted to laugh, to scoff at the idea; or to run, move as fast as he could and put as much distance between himself and everyone else as possible. His hands twitched as his head began to throb. It grew more and more painful by the second and he knew it wouldn't be long before he felt the urge to lash out. He took a few steps into the jungle, trying to get his breathing under control.

"Rory, please. Listen to me," said the Doctor. "I know you're angry and scared and confused but you can do this. You can hold on."

"I… I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You're not going to," the Doctor replied. His voice sounded closer now and Rory turned to find him standing a few feet away. He started to step forward and Rory backed up.

"Don't," he warned. "I… I feel like I need to hit something. I don't want it to be you."

"Ok," the Doctor said, coming to a stop. He held out his hands, palms facing Rory. "Ok. Let's… let's make a deal - I won't come any closer, and you won't run. All right?" Rory shook his head, wincing as the throbbing sensation increased.

"You don't… you don't understand…"

"I feel it too, Rory. It's like a… a pounding in your head, right?"

"I just want it to stop."

"I know." The Doctor's voice was gentle, almost soothing.

"Is this… is this what's causing the… the madness?" Getting the words out was hard. His pulse was drumming in his ears.

"Yes."

"How… how do we… stop it?"

"You were able to hide your thoughts before, Rory. You need to do it again."

"I… I can't…"

"You can. Tell me – how did you do it before?"

"I… I imagined… a force-field around me… like a… a white light."

"Good. That's a good image, very powerful. Hold on to it." Rory closed his eyes, trying to picture the force-field, the way the thoughts of others would bounce off of it and fall away. For a second it worked. The pounding in his head eased, dropping to a low thrumming sensation. A snapping sound made him open his eyes, the image fading and the pain returning. His eyes fell on the dead Mullette man and he felt his chest growing tight. He took a step back, dropping to his knees as his vision swam.

"Rory, listen to me." The Doctor sounded far away. "You can't give up now. You were so close. Remember that image. Hold on to it."

"I… I can't," Rory wheezed even as he closed his eyes. He tried to bring up the image but the pain in his chest was increasing. He felt something cool on either side of his face and then he heard the Doctor.

 _You need to breathe, Rory_ he urged. _Out first – get rid of that bad air._ Rory complied with the instructions, forcing himself to exhale. _Good. Now, deep breath in and hold it._ He obeyed, feeling the tightness in his chest easing. _Good._ He exhaled again, feeling steadier, and opened his eyes. The Doctor was on the ground in front of him, leaning forward with his hands on Rory's face. He realized with a jolt that the Doctor had been communicating telepathically and he wondered how much of the calm infusing him now was coming from the Time Lord.

"Better?" the Doctor asked and Rory nodded. "Good." He dropped his hands to Rory's shoulders, squeezing once before pulling back. Rory braced himself for the throbbing in his head to return but to his relief only a dull thumping remained.

"How… how did you do that?" he asked.

"You were almost there," the Doctor replied. "You just needed… a boost." He sagged a little and Rory frowned, taking in the lines of tension around the Time Lord's eyes and the way the skin on his face seemed stretched. His frown deepened as he remembered what the Doctor had told him.

"You said you felt it too – the pounding."

"Yes."

"And it's causing the madness. How? What is it?"

"It's…" The Doctor stopped, squeezing his eyes shut as he grimaced. He swayed and Rory moved to catch him, feeling his stomach twist with guilt. The Doctor was white and trembling again, barely able to keep his eyes open. Now wasn't the time to question him. When he kept trying to talk, Rory shushed him.

"Later," he said. "You can tell me later." He pulled the Time Lord to his feet, half supporting and half carrying him away from the dead Mullette. By the time they reached the tree where Rory had sat earlier, the Doctor was all but unconscious. Rory propped him against the trunk and knelt beside him, reaching for his pulse. A shadow passed over him and he looked up to find Amy standing there, her expression anxious. The Mullette women were just behind her, watching with worried frowns.

"Is he..."

"He's exhausted and in pain," Rory said, turning his attention back to the slumped Time Lord.

"Mm ok," the Doctor mumbled, trying to sit up straighter.

"No, you're not. You should be resting."

"I can rest… when this is finished." The Doctor pushed himself up a little more, opening his eyes. "We have… to go…"

"You need to eat first," Amy told him, crouching down on his other side. "You barely had anything today."

"And I need to change your bandages," Rory added. He glanced back at the dead Mullette, frowning. "We can't just leave him either."

"We'll attend to him," Noora said. "We can't bring him with us but we can cover him. When this is… over, we'll see to it he's returned to his family." She waited until Rory nodded before motioning for the other women to follow her. Rory turned back to the Doctor, reaching out to start unwinding the bandage around his head.

The knot on the Doctor's forehead seemed to have shrunk a little and the cut showed no sign of infection. It had bled a little, and there was a fresh layer of grit and grime around it. Amy had set out fresh bandages, a water-skin, and some cloth before going to join the Mullette women. Rory reached for the cloth and water to wash the cut. He touched the knot gently but the Doctor still flinched. His eyes opened and he squinted up at Rory.

"The… the pounding… is a… symptom," he said. He seemed to be struggling to get the words out and his voice was so quiet Rory could barely hear him. "Like… like the… madness." He slumped back against the tree, his eyes slipping shut, and Rory stared at him. He had so many questions. How could the madness be a symptom? Where were the other Mullette women? Was he still telepathic because of the water? For a moment his curiosity warred with his compassion; his hand hovered over the Time Lord's shoulder, but he couldn't bring himself to rouse the Doctor. He reached for a fresh bandage instead and went back to work, trying to jostle the Time Lord as little as possible. The Doctor didn't stir as Rory worked. Once his head was re-bandaged, Rory moved on to his arm, washing the wound before recovering it. He'd just finished when the Doctor stirred again. He blinked up at Rory, looking confused.

"I… I was telling you something," he murmured.

"It's ok," Rory told him.

"It was… important," he said, sitting up a little straighter.

"It's ok. You can tell me after we have something to eat."

"I can eat and… talk at the same time…"

"But you're not going to," said Amy, her voice stern. She knelt on the Doctor's other side and Rory saw she was carrying his jacket. She set it aside, reaching for one of the canvas bags. The Doctor had flinched at the sight of the tweed coat and he continued to stare at it as Amy pulled dried fruit and flatbread from her bag.

A rustling sound made Rory turn and he saw Noora crouching down by the Doctor's feet. He looked past her and saw Roona and Loora covering the dead Mullette with a blanket of leaves and grasses.

"We'll be ready to go as soon as you are," Noora said.

"Go where?" Rory asked, turning his attention back to her. Amy shoved a piece of bread into his hand and he took a bite automatically.

"To a place called the Mounds," Noora answered. Rory felt a chill wash over him and the bread in his mouth seemed to turn to sawdust. He swallowed with difficulty.

"Whe… where?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Noora reached for a water-skin and passed it to him. He took it from her, raising it to his mouth with shaking hands. She waited to reply until he'd finished drinking.

"It's an ancient burial ground not far from here," she said, watching him closely. "The Doctor believes the source of the madness is there."

"What do you mean 'source'?" Rory asked, looking to the Doctor.

"There's something hidden at the Mounds," the Time Lord said.

"How do you know that?"

"Whoever's hidden it is using a perception filter."

"And that's what's causing the madness?"

"Yes." Noora and the Doctor spoke at the same time.

"But how do you know it's at this… Mounds place?"

"The nightmares," Noora said. Rory started and she arched a brow at him. "You've had one, haven't you?"

"Ye… yes," he admitted, shuddering at the memory. Noora covered one of his hands with hers and he looked up at her.

"You're not alone," she told him. "People in my village have been having them too."

"The same dream?"

"Similar," Noora replied. "The setting was the same in all of them."

"They were all at the Mounds," Rory said, nodding.

"Yes," Noora replied. "When they began, I thought it was the result of stress – our men were going crazy, our way of life was in danger – but now I know they weren't natural."

"They're part of the perception filter… thing."

"The other women from the village were frightened by the mere mention of the Mounds. The idea of going there horrified them."

"That's why they're not here."

"They've gone back to the village."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to go to the Mounds," the Doctor said.

"And do what?" Rory asked him.

"Find the perception filter and turn it off."

"What about the people who are using it?"

"Oh, I hope they'll be there," Noora replied, smiling grimly. "I'd like to have a word with them."


	17. 17

The steely glint in Noora's eyes, along with the way her hand tightened around her staff, sent a chill through Rory. The Doctor spoke up, his voice firm.

"I have a thing about gu… weapons," he said. Noora shook her head, her brows lowering in a scowl.

"These people have attacked us!"

"No, they haven't."

"Their perception… thing _is_ making the Mullette men insane," Amy said.

"How can that not be intentional?" demanded Noora.

"The filter manipulates brain waves. It's planting a fear of the Mounds in your minds so you'll stay away – that's why you're all having nightmares. But manipulating the perception of telepaths is… tricky," the Doctor said. He sank back against the tree, looking thoughtful. "Something's gone wrong, and the men are being driven mad."

"The vampire-fish people…" Amy began.

"Saturnytes," corrected the Doctor, not lifting his head.

"…were turning girls into fish. Could the madness be these people's attempt to convert the Mullettes?"

"Convert them in to what?" Rory asked. "And why just men?"

"The Satur… whatevers only needed women..."

"They didn't convert people with their perception filter," Rory said, his eyes dropping to Amy's neck. The skin was unblemished, showing no trace of the bite she'd received, but the memory of that night was still enough to make him shudder. "They just used it to hide what they were."

"This isn't an attack," the Doctor said, lifting his head. Noora opened her mouth to protest and closed it, turning as Roona hurried up to her. When she looked back to them, her face was grim.

"The mad ones may be coming back this way," she said. "We need to move." Amy started to protest and the older woman shook her head, her tone firm. "Better to go now than wait and wind up needing to run, or go up a tree," she said, shifting her gaze to the Doctor. Rory turned to look as well. The Time Lord still looked tired but some color had returned to his face and he didn't seem to be having trouble sitting up.

"I can manage," he said, meeting Noora's gaze. He shifted, preparing to stand, and Rory moved to help him. The Doctor swayed a little when he first got on his feet, but he didn't pale. After a moment Rory drew back, relieved to find the Time Lord was stable. Amy finished gathering up the food and came to stand on Doctor's other side, passing Rory one of the canvas bags. She pulled the strap of hers over her head and folded the Doctor's jacket over the top of the bag. The Time Lord flinched, turning his head. Rory took a step to block his view of the mound of leaves and grasses covering the dead Mullette.

Noora led the group back down the path of mashed vegetation Rory had created in his flight. The Doctor followed her, with Rory close on his heels and an anxious Amy just behind him. Loora and Roona came last, still radiating tension. Rory divided his attention between watching the Doctor, concentrating on the image of a force-field surrounding him, and trying to keep his footing. The last task was the most difficult. He stumbled more than once as he stubbed his toe on hidden rocks or got caught in vines snaking across the ground. Each time he tripped his shielding of his thoughts wavered, giving him brief impressions of the thoughts of Loora and Roona. They were frightened, not just of the mad ones lurking out in the jungle but of visiting the Mounds. Their fear seemed to intensify each time he felt it. By the time Noora led them on to a trail, Rory's stomach was full of butterflies and there was a steady ache in his temples.

Once they were on the narrow path, they increased speed. The going was easier but with each step the dull throb in Rory's head seemed to get a little sharper. He had to work harder to keep visualizing the force-field around himself. He could see the Doctor was struggling too. His steps slowed and then he began to weave. Rory moved up beside him, reaching out to steady him. They continued that way for a short distance, the Doctor bumping in to Rory every few steps. The jostling made Rory's head throb more and he could feel his temper fraying. The last time they collided the Doctor started to sag and Rory caught him, his hands clenching tightly around the Time Lord's arm. The Doctor's hiss of pain made him loosen his grip as Amy joined them.

"Noora," she called, "wait." The older woman turned, her frown of annoyance turning to one of concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hurrying back to them.

"The Doctor needs a rest," Amy said. The Doctor started to object but Rory cut him off.

"I do too. My head…" He squeezed his eyes shut as a fresh spike of pain shot through him.

"It's the perception filter," the Doctor said. "Shielding your thoughts will help."

"I'm trying," Rory snapped, opening his eyes to scowl at the Time Lord. His hands started to tighten on the Doctor's forearm and he forced himself to let go. He took a step back, his scowl deepening when Amy slipped an arm around the Time Lord's waist.

"We'll rest here for a few minutes," Noora said. "We need to discuss how we're going to approach the Mounds anyway." Rory stayed standing as Amy helped the Doctor sit. The drumming in his head was getting louder, drowning out the sound of Noora and Amy talking. He dropped to his knees in the trail, closing his eyes and trying to picture a white-light around him, blocking out the thoughts of others. The image kept slipping away and he could feel himself starting to panic. His breathing grew shallow and his stomach seemed to be tying itself into knots. He kept seeing the dying Mullette man, unsure what he'd done under the influence of the madness and pleading with Rory to apologize to his family. The idea of winding up like that terrified Rory.

There was a rustling sound and then a hand landed on his shoulder. Rory opened his eyes to find Noora crouched in front of him, studying his face.

"How bad is the pain?" she asked.

"It's… bad," he said. "I can't… can't…"

"Let me help you." He stared at her, noting the way the fine lines around her eyes seemed to have sunk a little deeper since they'd left the village. He'd seen the strain when she'd shielded him before and he remembered how the Doctor had collapsed trying to give him a boost earlier. He shook his head.

"You… you'll hurt yourself," he said.

"I'm old, Rory, not decrepit," she retorted, softening her curt tone with a smile. Rory felt one of the knots in his gut loosen.

"O… ok." Noora nodded, raising her hands from his shoulders and cupping his face. Rory sighed in relief as the throbbing in his head slowed. Noora shut her eyes, frowning in concentration, and the pounding subsided to a dull ache. His heart-rate slowed and he felt the knots in his stomach easing. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and focused on shielding his thoughts. He felt Noora draw back a moment later, but the pain in his head didn't increase.

"All right now?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Thank you."

"We don't have much farther to go," she told him. "We're only a couple of hours from the Mounds." Rory nodded, feeling butterflies start up in his stomach once more.

"We can't just… walk in there."

"We won't. We can move around the edge of the jungle and observe."

"Observe what?"

"The Doctor says whatever scares us the most is what we need to check out." Noora smiled grimly as she stood. "Sounds pleasant, doesn't it?"

"Sounds typical," Rory muttered, getting to his feet. He could see the Doctor a few feet away, still sitting in the middle of the trail. Amy was beside him, watching him anxiously. She looked up as Rory approached, smiling in relief. The Doctor was slower to lift his head. He was moving carefully, like a man with a hangover.

"How are you feeling, Rory?" he asked.

"Better," Rory replied, feeling his anxiety increase. There were tension lines around the Doctor's eyes and his face was pale. "Are you…"

"The pain will get worse as we get closer to the perception filter's source. Keep your thoughts shielded. If you need help…"

"I'll ask," Rory promised. "Doctor, what about you?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Amy said.

"Thanks, Pond," the Doctor replied. He shifted on the ground, preparing to stand, and Rory reached out to help him. Amy rose on his other side, watching him anxiously.

"You're sure you're ok?" Rory asked.

"I said I'm fine." The Doctor drew back, wobbling a little, and bumped in to Amy. He jerked away from her and took a few steps forward, moving past Rory. "We need to keep going," he said. He took a few more steps down the trail. Amy looked at Rory and he saw his worry mirrored in her face.

"You go after him," she murmured, "and I'll get Noora." Rory nodded and he started after the Time Lord.

Rory stayed a few steps behind the Doctor as they moved along the trail. They didn't get far before Noora caught up. She fell in to step beside Rory.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"He said we needed to go and started walking," Rory replied, keeping his voice low. "He's hurting."

"We'll watch him, stop if he looks like he needs to rest," Noora said. Rory frowned at her and she continued. "The sooner we can find these people at the Mounds, the sooner we can get their filter thing turned off and stop his pain." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze before speeding up, leaving Rory behind as she moved up alongside the Doctor. Rory frowned after her, opening his mouth to object. He thought of the dying Mullette and swallowed his protest. The Doctor wasn't the only one hurting. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed when Amy joined him.

"Aren't we going to stop him?" she asked.

"Noora thinks we should keep going."

"But he's…"

"She's right," Rory said, raising a hand to his temple as pain shot through his head. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can stop this. We have to keep going."


	18. 18

The group walked for just over an hour before they had to stop. After half an hour the Doctor had started to sway, and after forty-five minutes he had begun to stumble. Finally he fell, sprawling across the trail before Amy could catch him. Noora ordered the group to a halt as Amy helped the Time Lord into a seated position. Rory stopped a few steps back, watching them. Part of him was grateful for the break. At least for a few minutes he could focus on keeping his mind shielded, without worrying about stumbling in uneven spots on the trail or watching the Doctor. Another part of him resented stopping. Now that he was still, he had a moment to think about what they'd find at the Mounds and to recognize how painful the throbbing in his head had become. He looked at the Doctor, who was sitting hunched over on the trail, and felt a surge of resentment. The Time Lord was slowing the group down, prolonging everyone's pain with his feebleness. As he watched, Amy knelt in front of the Doctor and offered him a drink from her water-skin. The Time Lord shook his head, pushing the bag away, and Rory fought back a growl. He stalked the remaining steps to stand over the Doctor.

"You need to drink the water," he said, trying not to snarl. The Doctor blinked up at him, looking confused and with a huff, Rory crouched down in front of him. He reached for the water-skin with one hand and the back of the Time Lord's head with the other. The Doctor just stared at him, his face a blank. Rory was startled when Amy grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could touch the Time Lord.

"Rory!"

"He needs to drink," he growled, glaring at her.

"He doesn't need you to pour water down his throat!" she retorted, returning his glare. Rory snarled, jerking his arm out of her grip. His clenched hand hit the Doctor's face in a blow that was half slap, half punch. The Doctor swayed and Amy lunged forward to catch him, pushing her way in between Rory and the Time Lord. Rory lost his balance and fell back, sitting down hard. Pain shot up his spine, drowning out the throbbing in his head for a moment. A chill washed over him as his mind cleared. He'd been about to yank the Doctor's head back and force him to drink. He shuddered. The Time Lord hadn't resisted; he hadn't even flinched. _If Amy hadn't stopped me…_ He pushed the thought away, feeling sick. The madness had almost taken hold again. He had to do better at shielding his thoughts before he wound up hurting someone. He ducked his head, taking a deep breath as he concentrated on the image of a force-field surrounding him.

When Rory lifted his head, Amy had one arm around the Doctor and was studying his jaw. The Time Lord was sitting still, his face blank.

"Are you hurt?" Amy asked, touching his jaw tentatively. The Doctor winced but didn't pull away. "Do you…"

"I'm slowing us down," he murmured, ducking his head. Rory stared, feeling guilt twist his stomach into a knot. The Doctor's words echoed one of his resentful thoughts.

"You're not," he said. Amy turned to look at him, her expression wary. "I needed to stop too."

"It's the filter," the Doctor said, lifting a hand to rub his temple. He winced as he touched the knot beneath the bandage but he didn't stop rubbing. "It… hurts."

"Don't do that," Amy protested, grabbing for his hand. Rory breathed a sigh of relief when she caught it, pulling it down in to the Time Lord's lap.

"Sorry," the Doctor mumbled, closing his eyes as his face twisted in a grimace. For a moment he was still, then his face cleared. He sat up straighter and opened his eyes, giving them a weak smile. "Sorry about that. I just… got lost for a few minutes."

"Lost where?" Amy asked.

"I didn't mean to worry you," the Doctor said, ignoring her question. "I think I should have that water now." Amy passed him the water-skin, reaching out to steady it when his hands shook. Rory stayed still, watching them as his mind raced. The Doctor's dazed behavior had been worrying, but so was his sudden alertness. Was this a symptom of the perception filter or the result of an untreated concussion? When the Doctor lowered the water skin Rory caught his eye.

"If you feel like you're getting lost again, Doctor…"

"I'll tell you," the Time Lord promised.

"Good," Rory said. He accepted the water-skin when Amy passed it to him, taking a long drink before handing it back to her. They continued to pass the skin around until they'd finished the last of the water it contained. Amy tucked it away in her bag.

The group resumed their journey a few minutes later. The Doctor was much steadier this time, striding ahead of Amy as the trail narrowed. Rory followed her, struggling against the pain in his head. He tried to keep his thoughts closed but he couldn't hold on to the image of the force field for long. Flashes of his nightmare kept returning - the swirling black mist, Amy's silent scream as she dissolved, the fear in the Doctor's face. The throbbing in his head intensified until he thought he'd be sick. His steps slowed and he began to stumble, bumping in to trees along the path's edge and stepping on Amy's heels. When he crashed in to her she turned to protest and Noora brought the group to a halt.

"We're getting close now," she said. "I think it would be best if Loora, Roona and I went ahead from here. We can move more quietly with just three of us." Rory nodded weakly, dropping to the ground where he stood and putting his head in his hands. He felt Roona and Loora brush past him. He could hear the Doctor saying something and Amy answering but he didn't try to make out the words. He lowered his head further until he was almost bent double, and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

When a gentle hand landed on his shoulder, Rory started. He jerked away from the touch, flopping onto his side and curling in on himself as his stomach churned. The hand returned, resting softly on his back.

"Rory?" The Doctor's voice was quiet but it still made the pain in Rory's head spike. He made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a moan, afraid to open his mouth for fear of being sick.

"Doctor?" Amy's voice was too loud and Rory hissed in a pained breath.

"Ssh," the Doctor chided. He was still rubbing circles on Rory's back.

"What do we do?" Amy whispered.

"Does he still have water?"

"I think so." Rory felt someone come close and then hands were tugging the canvas bag out from under his hip. He rolled on to his back, letting his hands fall away from his eyes. A hand caught him, cradling the back of his head so it didn't hit the ground. When his head was lowered a moment later there was cloth beneath him, making a pillow. The fabric was slightly scratchy and realized he was resting on the Doctor's tweed jacket. A cool, moist cloth was draped across his forehead and eyes. Someone began to stroke his hair – Amy he thought – and a hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder. The throbbing in his temples remained steady, as did his nausea, but when they grew no worse he felt some of his tension ease. His head sank deeper into the folds of the jacket.

The feel of Amy's hand on his hair was hypnotic and despite the steady anchor of the Doctor's hand on his shoulder, Rory felt himself drift. The pain in his head came in waves now. He held still, fighting back whimpers when the pain increased. When the cloth on his head dried, the Doctor removed it. A moment later the cloth was replaced with a freshly wetted one. The Time Lord gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before removing his hand. Rory felt movement next to him and hear the crunch of foot-falls on the path. He shifted, lifting his head cautiously. Amy drew her hands back and the damp cloth dropped from his forehead. He squinted up, making out a blurry image of the Doctor pacing. He bit back a whimper when the pain in his head spiked. He fell back onto the jacket-pillow as the Doctor crouched down beside him.

"You need to stay still," he chided, replacing the damp rag on Rory's forehead. His voice was soothing but Rory could see the worry in his eyes. The bruises on his jaw and cheek stood out in contrast to his pale skin.

"How long… have they been gone?" Rory asked, his voice raspy.

"Too long," the Doctor said, looking away. There were lines of strain in his pale face and Rory wondered how badly he was hurting.

"Are you…" he began.

"I need to go look for them," the Doctor announced, rising to his feet. He wobbled a little as he stood and Amy leaped up to steady him.

"You can't go on your own," she protested. The Doctor shook his head.

"You need to stay with Rory," he replied.

"I… I can…" Rory tried to push himself up again, stopping when his stomach twisted. He dropped back to the ground with a groan, missing the jacket pillow. Grit ground in to his temple as he squeezed his eyes shut against a powerful wave of pain and nausea. He felt hands on his shoulder and behind his head, easing him back onto the folder jacket and wiping the dirt from his forehead.

"You're going to be all right, Rory," the Doctor said softly, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze. Rory could feel a faint tremble in the Time Lord's hands but when he spoke again his voice was firm. "Stay with him, Amy." His hands moved away and Rory heard a soft grunt as he stood. He opened his eyes to see him standing with Amy.

"Doctor, be careful," she pleaded.

"I'm always careful," he answered, giving her a quick hug before turning to walk away. Amy stayed where she was, staring after him as the sound of his steps on the trail faded away.


	19. 19

Rory lay on the ground, his head pillowed in the Doctor's jacket and his eyes half-shut against the sunlight. The cloth on his forehead had dried but Amy hadn't noticed yet and he didn't mention it. She was pacing up and down a short stretch of trail and, while the crunch of her boots on the gritty trail was a grating sound, it was preferable to her attempts at taking care of him. After the Doctor had gone, she'd knelt down beside Rory, radiating anxiety. She started to fuss over him, scowling in determination. She'd needlessly adjusted his jacket-pillow, accidentally dumping his head onto the ground in the process. She'd gotten him resettled on the pillow and decided the rag on his head needed rewetting. The sopping wet cloth had dripped water into his eyes, washing grit from his forehead in along with it. She'd snatched the rag away, muttering angrily, and wrung it out before replacing it. She'd looked furious by then, which he knew meant she was ready to burst in to tears. It'd been a relief when she'd gotten to her feet and started to pace.

Amy reached the end of the short span she was pacing and turned. She had one arm folded over her stomach, her scowl was more pronounced, and she was worrying a thumb-nail between her teeth. Rory watched her, feeling his own anxiety increasing. How long had the Doctor been gone? He'd been putting on a brave front but Rory remembered the strain in his face, the way his hands had trembled, his grunt of pain as he'd stood. He felt his stomach knot with guilt. While he'd been lying on the ground the Doctor had been pushing through his pain. How much longer could he keep doing that? Rory shifted cautiously on the ground, bracing for the pain and nausea to increase. When neither did he kept moving, levering himself up into a seated position. Amy's eyes went wide and she hurried forward, reaching him in time to steady him when a wave of dizziness swept over him.

"You should lie back down," she chided.

"No," he said, stopping himself from shaking his head. "I'm… I'm ok."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm a lot better now," Rory lied. Amy arched a brow skeptically and he continued. "The pain is easing. I… I think I can move now." He got to his feet slowly and Amy rose with him, keeping a steadying hand on his back. Once he was upright he stayed still, breathing deeply and waiting for the dizziness to pass. Amy remained at his side, her hand still on his back. When he took a step forward she moved with him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just… testing," he said, taking another careful step. The pain in his head was steady but to his relief it didn't spike. His nausea also remained constant. It was uncomfortable but he didn't think he actually would be sick. He took a couple more steps and stopped, breathing out a sigh. Amy stared at him, looking uncertain.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"I want to go after the Doctor," he replied. Amy's eyes widened, fear and relief warring for dominance in her face.

"He… he wanted us to stay…" she began.

"He's not thinking clearly."

"And you are?"

"He's hurting, Amy," Rory said. "He's out there alone, in pain. We have to go after him." He held her gaze, hoping the pain he was feeling didn't show in his face. Amy stared back, obviously still torn. After a moment she nodded.

"Let me get our bags," she told him.

Rory moved cautiously as they went down the first few feet of the trail. Amy stayed close at his side, one hand hovering near his back as she walked. The trail was relatively smooth and Rory remained steady as they moved. The pain in his head didn't change and the nausea grew no worse. He was just starting to feel more confident when they rounded a curve in the trail. Rory's steps faltered as his skin began to crawl; this stretch of trail looked eerily familiar to him. His breath hitched as he realized he'd seen it in his nightmare.

"Do you need to stop?" Amy asked, her hand coming to rest on his back as his steps slowed.

"No," he said, starting to shake his head and stopping when the throbbing intensified. "It's nothing. We… we should keep going."

"Ok." Amy sounded doubtful and he could feel her watching him. He didn't meet her gaze. _It was just a dream_ , he reminded himself. _Just some people trying to scare you away._ His heart was hammering in his chest now and he was struggling to keep moving forward. Amy matched his slower pace, keeping her hand on his back. Flashes of his nightmare played in his mind – the black mist coming out of the boulder, the Doctor's attempt to push Amy to safety before he turned to ash, her shriek of fear. The urge to turn and flee was almost over-powering but he forced himself to keep going.

The trail came to an end as they reached the edge of the clearing and the mounds stretched before them. There were six small hills, arranged in a circle. Rory came to a stop, staring at the sloping ground of the hillock just in front of them. A large boulder rested its top, looking exactly like the one he'd seen in his nightmare. His heart thudded as he stared at it.

"We… we have to… go up there," he said, struggling to get the words out.

"What about the Doctor?" Amy asked.

"He said… whatever scared us… the most…" Rory let his voice trail off as his vision swam. His knees started to buckle and Amy's arm tightened around his waist. She dropped to the ground with him, keeping him from falling forward. She started to speak and then he heard her suck in a breath. He lifted his head, squinting up at the boulder. For a second he thought he saw the black mist swirling out but then his vision cleared and he realized it was black-clad people approaching.

"Rory! Amy! Get back!" Noora's voice came from his left and Rory turned his head. He made out blurry blue figures running toward him before his vision clouded again. He closed his eyes against the swirling colors and shapes. He could hear people yelling and felt Amy tugging on him, trying to pull him away. The shouting continued, he could hear the whistling of arrows in the air and a strange buzzing sound. The sounds of shouting stopped and a heavy pair of hands landed on his shoulders, yanking him away from Amy's grip. He was half-dragged, half-carried away, Amy's protests ringing in his ears.

Rory was so dizzy he wasn't sure which way they were going. One minute his feet were dragging along the ground and the next they were on a smooth surface. He opened his eyes, blinking down to see a metal floor beneath his feet. The lighting was different too – artificial rather than sunlight. He squinted against the brightness and lifted his head carefully, bracing himself for more pain. Instead he found that the throbbing in his head had been replaced with a feeling of pressure, as if he was at the bottom of a deep swimming pool. He had only a second to process this information before his captor steered him through a doorway.

Rory had a brief impression of a white space – walls, floor, and ceiling – before his eyes landed on the Doctor. The Time Lord was half-way across the room, lying on a metal table. His hands were zip-tied in front of him and the bandages on his forearm and head were marked with red blotches. A blonde woman clad in a gray cover-all was beside him, holding what looked like a computer tablet. She looked up at their entry, her pale brows drawing together in a frown.

"More of them, Steed?" she asked.

"Yes," came the reply, and Rory realized the speaker was the man holding him. He turned to look, seeing a young man with a square jaw, flat nose, and short-cropped black hair. "We've got wounded," the man continued, moving Rory forward. "Guss took an arrow to the arm."

"An arrow!" The woman's curly pony-tail bobbed as she jerked her head up.

"Some of the natives turned up just as we were taking these two in to custody. One of them fired on us," Steed said.

"You attacked us!" Amy snapped.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Steed fired back. He shoved Rory forward, toward the wall just beyond the Doctor's table. The Time Lord's eyes were shut and he didn't stir as Rory called out to him.

"Doctor…"

"Enough," growled Steed, shoving Rory into the wall. A handcuff was slapped onto one of his wrists, the other cuff secured to a grommet in the wall. He sagged against the wall, watching helplessly as Amy struggled with the woman who held her. Steed stepped over to help, grunting in pain when one of Amy's kicks connected with his shins. The two of them managed to secure Amy to the wall beside Rory. Noora was brought over next, along with a terrified Roona. Loora was carried in unconscious, soliciting a gasp of dismay from the blonde woman.

"Steed!"

"She's only stunned, Raneri," the man replied, his voice gruff. When Raneri still looked disapproving he growled. "She was shooting arrows all over the place. We didn't have a choice." The blonde shook her head, her pony-tail bouncing, and stepped out into the corridor, presumably to tend to the injured Guss. Steed watched her go before turning his steely gaze on Rory and Amy.

"Who are you people and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Who are you?" Amy shot back. Steed's dark brows lowered as his scowl deepened.

"What did you do to our friend?" Rory put in, peering around the black-clad man to stare at the Doctor. The Time Lord was breathing steadily, his face relaxed as if in sleep.

"We're asking the questions here…"

"I'm asking the questions here," broke in a sharp voice, "and what I want to know, Steed, is just what the hell is going on." Rory tore his eyes away from the Doctor to see a woman clad in a black t-shirt and gray cargo pants standing in the doorway. She was at least a food shorter than Steed, with straight blonde hair worn in a chin-length bob. Despite her casual appearance, there was no mistaking the authority in her tone and stance. Steed turned to face her, his heels clicking together as she stepped in to the room.

"Commander," he said.

"I asked you a question, Steed," the woman replied, folding her arms across her chest. Rory saw Steed swallow nervously and the other people in the room seemed to shrink back. The tension in the room seemed to grow as the silence stretched, and just when Rory thought someone would snap, the Doctor spoke up.


	20. 20

"Hello!" The Doctor's giddy greeting broke the tense silence and all eyes turned toward him. He was straining to keep his head up off the table as he looked at the commander. She stared back at him, her expression stern. "Ooh – someone's a grumpy face," the Doctor continued, slurring his words a little. "That's not good. Definitely not good." The commander's brows lifted and Rory thought he saw her lips twitch. The Doctor's head dropped back to the table with a clunk and she winced before shooting a glare at Steed.

"Your explanation had better include the reason why this man is bound and bleeding," she said, crossing the room to the table. She looked down at the Doctor with a worried frown.

"He was bleeding when we found him," Steed said quickly. "He… he kept… struggling. He was going to hurt himself. We tied his hands to keep him still."

"Well, you can untie him now," the woman said, reaching out to lay a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "And you can unshackle those people too."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Commander," Steed said. "One of the natives shot Guss."

"You were attacking us," Amy protested. "Loora was just trying to defend us."

"We were not attacking…"

"Enough!" The commander's bellow silenced Amy and the young man. "Steed, unshackle these people and get Raneri back in here. The native needs attention, and so does this man."

"Yes, Commander," Steed said, his voice terse. He motioned for one of the other black-clad people to tend to the hand-cuffs before stalking out of the room. Rory heard him bellowing Raneri's name in the corridor.

The moment his cuff was undone, Rory went to the table. The commander was looking down at the Doctor, smiling nervously as he blinked up at her.

"Hello," she said softly. "I'm Commander Kelly. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm the Doctor," he replied, sounding tired.

"And your companions?"

"Friends," he corrected, glancing over as Amy stepped up beside Rory. "We travel together. I… I keep letting them down…" His voice trailed off and the commander looked up, meeting Rory's gaze.

"Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"He's the Doctor, I'm Rory, and she's Amy. We're… visiting."

"Visiting?"

"It's… complicated," Amy said.

"This planet is under level 4 protection. Do you have any idea how many laws you've broken?"

"No," Rory said. The commander frowned skeptically.

"Really…"

"Excuse me," spoke up Noora, "but what is level 4 protection?" The commander's eyes widened and her face flushed.

"It… it means peoples with advanced technologies are prohibited from visiting this planet," she answered. "It… it's for your protection."

"Then haven't you also violated the law?" Kelly's blush deepened.

"We didn't come here on purpose," she said. "Our ship was malfunctioning and we had to stop to make repairs. We were very careful to avoid populated areas…"

"And you used your perception filter to keep your ship disguised," finished the Doctor. Commander Kelly looked down at him in surprise.

"Yes," she said. "How do you know that?"

"I can feel it," the Doctor replied. "It… hurts."

"That's not possible."

"He's telepathic," Amy said impatiently. "All of the people here are."

"I don't understand…"

"We can feel your filter," Noora began.

"You have to turn it off," Amy said impatiently. "It's making all the men insane." Kelly stared at them in disbelief.

"Figures," muttered one of the soldiers. "First time in two years we don't get stuck with a refurb and what happens? The new unit malfunctions." Kelly glanced at the speaker, looking thoughtful.

"Please," Noora said.

"All right," Kelly replied, "we'll turn it off." She moved to the door and pressed a panel near the frame to reveal an intercom. "Bridge, this is Kelly. Graham, you there?"

"Yes, Commander," came the tinny reply.

"Shut down the p.f."

"Commander?"

"You heard me. Shut it down. Now."

"Yes, Ma'am."

It only took a moment for the perception filter to be shut down. Rory felt the difference immediately. The pressure in his head disappeared and he almost sagged with relief. He leaned heavily on the Doctor's table, looking down at the Time Lord. The lines of strain were fading from the Doctor's face. He gave Rory a drowsy smile before his eyes slipped shut. Commander Kelly returned to her place on the other side of the table, watching them both.

"You look like you should sit down, Rory," she said. She motioned to one of the soldiers and a moment later the man brought over a folding chair. Rory sank in to it gratefully. Now that the pain in his head had gone, he felt exhausted. All he wanted to do was find somewhere to lie down and go to sleep, but he was afraid to leave the Doctor. Kelly was barking orders, getting snips from one of the soldiers to cut the ties on the Doctor's wrists and demanding to know where Steed was. The intercom sounded again; Raneri was calling to ask that Loora be brought to the medical bay. The commander directed one of the men to carry her. Noora and Roona followed him. Amy stayed by Rory's side, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other holding one of the Doctor's hands. She stiffened when Steed entered the room. He made his way to the commander, careful not to look in their direction. The blonde woman said something to him and he hesitated before nodding. When he turned toward the table, Rory forced himself to sit up straight.

"I… I'm supposed to get you to the medical bay," Steed said, his voice subdued. Amy bristled when he reached for the Doctor and he stopped. "I promise I'll be very careful with your friend." He waited until Rory nodded before touching the Time Lord. The Doctor grunted as he was lifted but didn't open his eyes. Amy stayed with Rory, slipping an arm around his waist as he stood. They followed the black-clad man to the corridor.

The medical bay was a few doors down the white hallway. The room was long and narrow, with a half-dozen beds. Raneri was two beds down from the door, studying a monitor attached to Loora. She glanced up as they entered, nodding in acknowledgement to Steed. He carried the Doctor to the empty bed beside the Mullette woman and settled him there. He moved to the foot of the bed, making room for Amy and Rory to stand beside it. Rory expected him to leave but to his surprise, he lingered near the end of the bed. Raneri said something to Noora before coming around the end of Loora's bed. She arched her brows at the black-clad man.

"You're in the way, Steed," she announced. He stared at her and for a moment Rory thought he'd argue. Instead, he huffed and walked away. Raneri shook her head.

"He's not really a bad guy," she said.

"Yeah? Could have fooled me," Amy replied.

"There weren't supposed to be any humans on this planet. When we saw your friend on the monitors, Steed had to decide what to do. He thought the best way to protect the local population was to get you away from them. He didn't realize you'd already met them."

"He's not human," Rory said. Raneri stared in surprise.

"That's harsh."

"He means the Doctor," Amy said. "He's not human – he's alien."

"You can't give him human medicines," Rory added, watching as Raneri wrapped something which looked like a blood pressure cuff with a small screen on it around the Doctor's uninjured arm.

"O…k," the blonde replied, staring at the monitor on the cuff. "Two hearts. Interesting."

"He's allergic to human pain relievers. You could kill him…"

"It's ok," Raneri told him. "The computer will scan his bio-chemistry and come up with a solution to match his needs. While it's doing that, I think I'd better have a look at you."

"I don't…" Rory let his protest die when he saw Amy's scowl. He climbed up into the bed beside the Doctor's and lay back. Raneri spoke to him as she attached a cuff to his arm, telling him how the monitors worked, but he couldn't follow her explanation. By the time she finished fastening the cuff, he was asleep.

When Rory woke up the lights in the medical bay were dimmed and a curtain had been pulled around his bed. He was under a light blanket and when he sat up he realized someone had changed him into pajamas. He flushed as he realized they'd also bathed him; his skin no longer felt sticky or gritty, and the welts and scratches on his arms were no longer stinging.

He'd just slung his legs over the side of the bed when he heard voices nearby. They were coming closer and he waited, wanting to see who it was before he spoke up. When he heard the Doctor and Amy he felt relief surge through him.

"What about the men?" Amy was asking.

"The madness is over. I hope they'll find the courage to go home again."

"And that's it?"

"That's plenty," the Doctor said, grunting a little. Rory peeked through a gap in the curtains to see the Time Lord getting back into bed. He was dressed in pajamas similar to Rory's. Amy was beside him, wearing what looked like a pink dressing gown. "The madness may be gone but they'll still have to live with what they did while they were affected."

"Do you think they can do that? The things they sa... did… "

"I think you should talk to Rory."

"Rory?" Amy was trying to sound surprised but she didn't quite manage it.

"I think the two of you have some things to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Why did you run away with me the night before your wedding, Amy? Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

"I… it wasn't… Rory knows it wasn't like _that_."

"Does he?"

"'Course he does."

"Ok then." They fell silent and Rory waited, his heart thudding in his ears.

"It wasn't… him, ok?" Amy said after a moment.

"Ok," murmured the Doctor.

"And it wasn't you."

"I know."

"I just… I got scared. I thought… sooner or later, he's going to realize what a mistake this is." Amy's voice broke and Rory felt his throat tighten at the sound. He slipped off his bed and moved to the gap in the curtains, peering through to see Amy swiping at tears. He was about to push through when the Doctor spoke again.

"What a mistake what is?" he asked gently.

"Me. Being with me. Marrying me."

"Amy…"

"He… he deserves someone better than 'Crazy Amy Pond.'" Rory couldn't stand to hear any more. He pushed the curtains aside and stepped through.

"That is rubbish," he announced. Amy stared at him, her mouth open in surprise and a single tear streaking down one flushed cheek.

"How… how long have you been listening?" she asked.

"A while," he admitted, feeling his face warm.

"Then you heard…"

"Pretty much everything," he said.

"Rory…" Amy stopped, biting her lower lip. Rory moved forward, going around the end of the Doctor's bed and heading straight for Amy. He didn't stop until he had her in his arms.

"I will never ever regret being with you, Amy Pond," he said firmly, holding her close. She ducked her head and he moved one hand from her waist to lift her chin. She smiled at him, blinking back more tears, and threw her arms around his neck.


	21. 21

Rory and Amy clung to each other for several minutes, until the sound of a throat being cleared reminded them they weren't alone. Rory drew back reluctantly, not wanting to break contact with Amy. He settled for keeping one arm around her shoulder as they turned to face the Doctor, and felt a rush of pleasure when she snaked her arm around his waist, holding him close to her. The Time Lord's face was flushed and he was smiling nervously.

"So… you two are good then?" he asked. Rory glanced at Amy. She was grinning, her face pink and her eyes dancing. She nodded her agreement and he smiled before looking back to the Doctor.

"We are good," he announced, and the Doctor beamed, obviously delighted. Rory stared at him, sobering a little at the sight of the fading bruises on his face. He wanted to take a closer look at the Doctor so he started forward, bringing Amy with him. "You… you said the madness was over?" he asked, hoping to disguise his scrutiny with conversation. He reached the edge of the bed and noted with approval that the Time Lord's filthy bandages had been replaced with fresh squares of gauze.

"Yes," the Doctor replied, shifting a little on the bed. "Once they shut down the perception filter, everyone started returning to normal." Amy let go of Rory long enough to adjust the pillow behind the Doctor's back. He leaned into it with a sigh. He didn't seem to be hurting, but there were shadows under his eyes. Rory didn't want to keep him up for long, but he did have questions.

"What about Loora? Is she ok?" he asked, hoisting himself up to sit on the foot of the bed. Amy came to stand by him, leaning against the bed and claiming one of his hands.

"She's fine," she told him. "She and Roona don't like the ship so they're camping outside."

"And Noora?"

"She went with them," the Doctor said.

"She wanted to stay," Amy added, chuckling. "She finds the ship fascinating. She kept following Steed around, asking him questions." Rory nodded.

"So this is a… a space-ship?" he asked, looking around at the medical bay. It looked a lot like a hospital ward, except that the beds were attached to the floors and there were no windows.

"This is a scout ship," the Doctor said, his eyes lighting up. He launched himself into a detailed lecture about the model of ship, the standard crew complement, and the age of the vessel. Rory struggled to pay attention but it was too much information for his tired brain to process. He gathered that the ship was a scout vessel, sent out from a larger mining craft. This one was supposed to be surveying a planet near the outside of this solar system, but their navigational computer had malfunctioned.

"Why come here?" he asked, cutting off a more detailed description of the computer.

"This is the only planet in system with a breathable atmosphere." The voice came from behind him and Rory turned to see Raneri standing in the doorway. "We didn't trust the rest of our systems to stay up and running after the nav comp crashed," she continued, "so we decided we'd better land somewhere that wouldn't require life-support."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"It turned out to be a very good idea. No sooner did we get the nav system back up and running than another system went down. It's been one thing after another for the past two weeks."

"Why didn't you call for help?"

"The comm system is one of the ones that crashed. By the time we got it up and running, the command ship was out of communications range. They'll be back in range tomorrow, waiting for us to tell them we're ready to be collected." She cleared her throat, crossing the room to the bed and reaching for the cuff on the Doctor's arm. "I think we've had enough story-hour for one night."

"I'm fine," the Doctor said, sighing when she kept hold of his arm.

"You're mostly fine," retorted Raneri, staring down at the monitor. "You still need to rest."

"I've been resting…"

"Your friends need to rest too," she said, reaching for the pillow the Doctor was propped up against. Rory slipped off the bed as she lowered the Time Lord. She started to pull the blanket up around his shoulders and he huffed.

"You don't need to fuss." Rory tried, and failed, to stifle a yawn. Amy tugged on his hand.

"C'mon," she murmured. "I'll tuck you in." She pulled him around the end of the Doctor's bed and toward the gap in the curtains surrounding his own.

"You've got two minutes, Miss Pond," Raneri said, not turning away from the Doctor. "Remember, he's supposed to go to sleep." Rory felt his face warm and Amy giggled, pushing aside the curtain and pulling him toward his bed.

"Amy…"

"Ssh," she said, putting a finger over his lips. She moved in closer to him, sliding her arms up around his neck. When she kissed him, he forgot all about his embarrassment.

Despite Amy's two (and a half) minute goodnight, Rory had no trouble dropping off to sleep once he climbed into bed. When he woke up, the lights in the medical bay were brighter and he could smell food. He wanted to follow the delicious aromas of bacon and eggs but there was another, more pressing matter he needed to attend to first. He sat up, wondering where he might find the loo, and the curtain surrounding his bed was pulled aside. Raneri stood there, holding a stack of folded clothing.

"Got your clothes," she said brightly. "Breakfast's on in the cafeteria. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Rory said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I… uh…"

"Head's down past the last bed," Raneri told him, passing him the clothing. "To get to the cafeteria, make a left out the door. It'll be the third door on the left. You won't miss it – we're a noisy bunch at meal time." Rory thanked her and headed down the medical bay toward the bathroom. All the other beds were empty and he wondered how late he'd slept.

The cafeteria was easy to find. Raneri hadn't been exaggerating about the noise. When Rory stepped in the room he saw the place contained one long table, with benches on either side. The benches were full, with a dozen crew members as well as the Doctor, Amy, and the three Mullette women. Amy and the Doctor looked up at his entry, waving him toward a spot on the end of the bench beside Amy. Noora, Loora, and Roona were across from them but they were too engaged with each other to notice his arrival. They weren't speaking, but their gestures and expressions made it clear they were carrying on a telepathic conversation.

Rory was almost to the table when he realized he had no idea what the Mullettes were discussing. His steps faltered as he tried to reach out to them. His efforts produced no results; the only thoughts in his head were his own. He continued to the table, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment.

"Something wrong, Rory?" asked the Doctor.

"I… I'm not telepathic anymore." Rory dropped on to the bench next to Amy.

"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked. The Doctor nudged her and she looked up at the Mullettes, her face flushing. "No offense."

"None taken," Noora replied, smiling.

"It's not bad," Rory said. "It's just… sudden."

"You became telepathic rather suddenly too," the Doctor pointed out. He looked like he wanted to say something else but a loud voice from the other end of the table made everyone turn in that direction.

"We have to tell the company what happened here," Steed was saying. "They have to know that this perception filter is dangerous for telepaths."

"But if we tell them, we have to admit we violated the level 4 restrictions," objected another man. He had one arm in a sling and Rory guessed he must be the man Loora shot.

"I don't see how we can avoid that, Guss," said Raneri. "Steed's right – this p.f. has to be removed from use."

"But it's not just us getting in trouble," Guss pointed out. "The… visitors did too." He waved his good hand toward their end of table.

"What happens if they find out about us?" Amy asked.

"Regulations state that if we find someone violating the restrictions, we hold them until they can be turned over to the proper authorities," Steed said.

"We can't do that," objected Raneri. "They didn't do any harm; if it weren't for them we wouldn't have found out about the filter."

"Raneri's right. We can't detain them."

"We have a… vehicle," Rory said, glancing at the Doctor. The Time Lord nodded.

"My ship is about a day and a half's walk from here," he confirmed.

"We can't wait that long to call in," Guss complained. "Command's going to be in range in a few hours and expecting to hear from us."

"We'll use the ground vehicle to return you to your ship," Steed said, "but you'll have to lie low there. Command will see you on their scanners if you try to leave the planet."

"That won't be a problem," replied the Doctor, looking amused.

"This is never going to work. How can we explain figuring out that the perception filter was causing the natives problems without mentioning them?" demanded Guss.

"I think we can come up with a story to cover that," Raneri told him.

"And my arm? We're going to have to admit to leaving the ship."

"If all you're worried about is who takes the blame, put it on me," Steed snapped. "I'm the one who led us out in the first place." He glared at the other man and Guss glared back. Commander Kelly cleared her throat, waiting until all eyes were on her before speaking.

"I thank you for your offer, Mr. Steed, but as commander of this ship, final responsibility rests with me," she said. "I believe we can make a plausible explanation to command without including the involvement of Amy, Rory, and the Doctor. That is what I intend to do." There were murmurs amongst the crew but one by one, they nodded their agreement. Guss was the last to consent.


	22. 22

Despite Guss' sulking, it didn't take long for the tension in the cafeteria to dissipate. Conversation resumed as platters of breakfast foods were passed around the table. By the time their plates were piled high, everyone was talking. Multiple conversations developed; Rory found himself pulled in to a debate over whether or not bacon or sausage was the best breakfast meat. Noora was asking Steed and Kelly questions about the ship. Amy was teasing the Doctor about his fondness for bow-ties, which prompted Raneri to talk about the wardrobe peculiarities of her uncle. Soon other members of the crew, Guss included, were talking about eccentric relatives with strange clothing choices. The Doctor was sputtering protests but when Rory caught his eye, he winked. Rory lowered his head, pretending to study his plate as he fought back laughter.

When the meal was over, the crew split up. Steed took three others with him to prepare the ground vehicle. Commander Kelly escorted Noora, Roona, and Loora out. The older women were speaking with the commander as they walked together. Raneri approached Rory, Amy, and the Doctor. She ran a critical eye over the Time Lord.

"Do I pass inspection?" he asked. He started to reach for his nonexistent tie and stopped, grabbing the lapels of his tweed coat instead. Amy's lips twitched.

"You look much better than you did last night," Raneri replied, motioning for them to move with her. They stepped out into the hallway, following Kelly and the Mullettes. "I'd like to check you over one more time, but we need to get you back to your ship."

"Don't worry," the Doctor told her. "My friends will look after me. Rory's a nurse and Amy's… persistent."

"Sounds like a perfect combination," laughed the blonde, glancing over her shoulder to grin at Amy and Rory. Up ahead in the corridor, Kelly had stopped and was motioning the Mullettes through a door. Noora went last, stopping long enough to shake the commander's hand. Kelly waited while the Doctor approached. Raneri stopped a few feet away.

"I think this is where I say good-bye," she told them. "Take care, you three. Maybe we'll meet again sometime." There were handshakes all around and then the trio moved on to where the commander was waiting by the door. She offered her hand to the Doctor and he took it with a smile.

"I'm sorry we don't have time to get to know all of you better," Kelly said.

"I think we've seen you at your best, Commander," he told her. Her smile widened and she shook hands with each of them before motioning them out the door.

The outside of the ship reminded Rory of an oversized airplane. They went down a short flight of steps to the ground, where the Mullette women were waiting. Roona and Loora hung back as Noora stepped up to meet the trio.

"You're returning to your village?" the Doctor asked. Noora nodded.

"As much as I'd love to stay and learn more about our guests, it's time to go home and begin the long work of rebuilding." The Time Lord nodded and Noora smiled at him. "You know, up until a few days ago, I thought I was an old woman who had seen everything. You three have shown me that there's so much more to know." She waved the Doctor forward and he moved, dropping to his knees so their eyes were level. She leaned forward, touching her forehead gently to his for a moment. When she drew back her eyes were glistening. She patted the Doctor's cheek before turning to Amy. Amy followed the Doctor's example and knelt down, only to find herself folded into the older woman's arms. Noora murmured something Rory couldn't hear into her ear before releasing her. Amy stood, moving to stand beside the Doctor as Noora approached Rory. He knelt as well and the older woman reached out to cup his face.

"I will miss hearing your thoughts, Rory," she murmured. "I know I don't have to worry about you taking care of those two, but don't forget to take care of yourself, eh?" She patted his cheek softly before drawing back.

The Mullette women moved away, disappearing into the jungle just before the ground vehicle arrived. Rory had wondered how well they could travel in a jungle with no roads, but one look at the vehicle's giant tires removed his doubts. They had to climb a ladder on the side of the car to get up to the seats. They settled into the middle bench and a glass dome whirred into place, closing them off from the jungle. Steed advised them to use the safety restraints and once they'd clicked them into place, he started them forward with a jerk.

The trip to the TARDIS in the ship's ground vehicle took a couple of hours. Steed and another man sat in the vehicle's front seat. Amy, Rory and the Doctor were in the middle seat, and two more men sat in the rear. Rory sat in the center of the seat, his fingers laced through Amy's and her shoulder brushing his. The Doctor was staring out the window, watching the passing scenery.

"So," Rory said, looking at Amy, "you were going to tell me about the star whale." She turned her head to meet his gaze, her grip tightening on his hand as she began to talk. She told him about a giant space-ship, a crying girl the Doctor wanted to help, meeting Elizabeth the 10th, and finding a giant whale trapped at the heart of the ship. The Doctor spoke up at that point, explaining how Amy had freed the whale. The creature had stayed, continuing to carry the humans and their ship safely on its back. They'd just finished telling him about meeting killer aliens called Daleks in Churchill's bunker when the vehicle jerked to a stop. The Doctor turned in mid-sentence to look out the dome. Rory could see his grin reflecting in the glass when his eyes landed on the TARDIS.

"That's your ship?" Steed asked. "That box?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied, his voice full of pride.

"But… it's a wooden box."

"It _looks_ like a wooden box," corrected Rory.

"Just wait and see," Amy added, grinning. Steed shook his head and reached for a button to lower the dome.

"You three are either brilliant or bonkers," he muttered, holding out his hand. "Either way, I'm glad to have met you." They shook hands all around before climbing out of the car and crossing the short distance to the TARDIS. Rory had never thought he'd feel so glad to see the blue box. He waited impatiently while the Doctor ran a hand along the door panel before slipping his key into the lock and opening the door. Amy looked back to wave at the men in the vehicle before slipping inside. Rory went after her and the Doctor came last. He slipped past them, bounding up to the center console. They followed more slowly; Amy had her arm looped through Rory's and their shoulders brushed as they walked up. Once they reached the console, the Doctor turned the monitor so they could see the faces of the men in the ground vehicle, grinning as he pushed buttons, turned dials, and pulled a handle to launch them into the vortex. The men stared, their faces full of shock, as the TARDIS vanished before their eyes. Amy laughed, leaning into Rory. He couldn't help smiling.

"Well," the Doctor asked, rubbing his hands together happily, "where to next?"

"The med bay," Rory replied, letting go of Amy and moving to steer the Doctor toward the steps. "I want to check you over." The Time Lord pulled a face and Amy laughed, stepping up on his other side.

"You have to get those bandages off before we head for the beach," she told him. The Doctor's brows lifted.

"Beach?"

"Yes," Amy replied.

"Somewhere warm, sunny, and festive," Rory agreed, guiding them into the corridor.

"I know just the place," the Doctor told them, his eyes lighting up. Rory steered him toward the med bay as Amy demanded to know where they were going. The Doctor refused to answer, telling her it was a surprise. Rory smiled to himself as they continued down the hall, enjoying the banter and teasing. It seemed impossible that he'd ever felt the TARDIS' corridors were unnerving; they felt welcoming now. He was home.


End file.
